New fabrication shop bustles with activity to support BP projects

By Frank Baker

Fabrication of three major North Slope oil field modules for BP Alaska is underway at NANA’s 22-acre fabrication shop and construction site at Big Lake. The equipment will support BP’s oil field development projects on the North Slope that are designed to boost oil production. These BP projects represent a total gross cost of more than $500 million.

The equipment is nearing completion and is being prepared for truck transport to the North Slope, including a Low Pressure Separation Pressure Safety Valve module for Gathering Center 2 and a large scrubber skid, part of a project to replace gas compressors in each of the flow stations. The third BP project involves the fabrication of pig launchers, pig receivers, and associated piping for the Milne Point Unit C-Pad Project.

Willy Friar, Alaska fabrication manager for BP, says that much of the equipment will be used in projects for BP’s West End Development, as well as risk reduction in other areas across the North Slope – all aimed at increasing crude oil production.

NANA’s Fabrication Shop north of Anchorage near Big Lake was a flurry of activity in mid- April as crews worked on oil field modules and other equipment to support BP Alaska’s multi-million dollar oil field development and expansion projects on the North Slope. Pictured is NANA worker Justin Peterson working on the GC2 Module construction.

The equipment will be installed on the Slope during this coming summer’s three maintenance turnarounds, which are expected to be among the largest in the history of North Slope oil field development. BP’s workforce will grow by nearly 700 people on the North Slope for about eight to ten weeks.

The projects involve more than 15 Alaska-based companies that include NANA Development Corporation, WorleyParsons, CH2M HILL, Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, NANA Construction, NORCON, Udelhoven, CCI, Bell & Associates, Glacier Services, Safeway, Carlile, Peak, AE Solutions, GCI, and Alaska Roteq.

“The Alaska Region continues to look for opportunities to optimize production through improving operations efficiencies, and planned maintenance,” Friar said. “BP’s debottlenecking projects fall into three categories: debottlenecking process fluid changes, pipeline work, and secondary recovery through improved water management.”

NANA project manager Fred Elvsaas, who oversees the Big Lake industrial Fabrication Shop and construction site, says that since the facility was opened seven years ago, they have built nearly 300 truckable modules and several camps for a number of companies. He notes that throughout 2013-2014 they have maintained a flawless safety record.

Frank E. Baker is a freelance writer on contract to BP Alaska.

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