The first offshore pile installation operation with the StabFrame, a newly created subsea pile-stabilising template, has been successfully completed in the OGX Waimea field in Brazil’s Campos Basin. Used in a joint venture with Drilling Ltd. (LDD) and MENCK GmbH, the StabFrame stabilizes piles in all depths required for underwater pile driving. The operation was carried out in association with a contract awarded to MENCK by Wellstream International Ltd, the main contractor for OGX Petroleo e Gas on the Waimea Subsea Development. As per the contract, MENCK is required to drive ten 84in mooring piles in water depths of up to 140 meters using an MHU 500T hydraulic hammer. Steered using a work-class remotely-operated vehicle (WROV), the StabFrame stabilized a vertical pile in varying soil conditions. As opposed to relying on a release mechanism attached to the pile, the StabFrame’s hydraulic release mechanism allows the pile to be driven further into the seabed, if required, before opening the frame. By doing this, the StabFrame can adjust to unpredictable and challenging seabed conditions.
