The spoolbase is located within an existing Port Marlborough New Zealand Ltd owned and operated lay-down area, immediately behind the Waimahara Wharf, Picton.

The scope of work consisted of both civil and mechanical work packages, with the civil scope of work including:

* Constructing pipe storage racks and pipe ready racks including a 60 m span bridge, suitable for 50 t excavators to move and store completed pipe strings on; * Set up of a 120 m long fabrication facility housing the bevelling, welding, non-destructive testing and field joint coating work stations; * Set up of a moveable tie-in station for the welding, non-destructive testing and field joint coating of tie-in welds along the spooling / tie-in line; * Set up of rollers both on the firing line and along the spooling / tie-in line including hydraulic alignment rollers at the front end; * Civil preparation works for the safe handling and storage of the pipe stalks; * Preparation of sand berms for pipe storage in the designated pipe stockpile area; * Receipt of client supplied line pipe and unloading to the designated stockpile area; and * Spoolbase demolition on completion of the works.

The mechanical scope of work includes:

* Development and qualification of weld procedures for the welding of 12 inch x 22.2 mm WT SML Grade 450 carbon steel and 12 inch x 25.4mm WT SML Grade 450 duplex pipe; * Development and qualification of automatic ultrasonic examination (AUTE) procedures to be used to non-destructively test field welded joints on site; * Mobilisation of CRC Evans automatic welding systems for production welding of carbon steel and duplex pipe; * Mobilisation of AUTE equipment and personnel; * Mobilisation of Field Joint Coating (FJC) systems and personnel; * Mobilisation of heavy plant and equipment for pipe and pipe stalk handling; * Design and fabrication of pipe rollers both in the firing lane and for the spooling/tie-in line; * Fabrication of pipe stalks, comprising approximately 2,300 welds; * Handling and storage of pipe stalks; * Pipe stalk cleaning and gauging; * Tie-in of pipe stalks during spooling operations; * Fabrication of launcher/initiation header, receiver and A&R header; * Provision of support services to the Apache reel barge, including provision of offshore personnel and equipment for the offshore tie-ins; and, * Demobilisation of equipment upon completion of the works.

The construction of the temporary spoolbase was completed safely and free of any loss time and medical injuries in approximately nine weeks from mobilisation to commissioning.

Production welding commenced on 8 October 2007 and was completed on 27 November 2007, constructing 68 No. 420 m long strings of pipe ready for pipe reeling operations, with a 0.8 per cent repair rate.

Welding and AUTE assessment was stringently carried out under acceptance criteria stipulated in the Engineering Critical Assessment (ECA), which took into consideration the plastic and elastic straining that the pipe will undergo during the reeling and pipelay operations.

The pipe will be laid in three trips by the CSO Apache, with each trip laying approximately 9,000 m of pipe. Tie-ins will be performed by McConnell Dowell, as each 420 m pipe string is spooled onto the Apache, until the required length of pipe is completely spooled.

However, it would not have been possible to achieve all of this without the camaraderie that was developed and observed amongst the crews, who enjoyed life and good cuisine.

How any competent employee could find time in the half hour lunch break to pursue the virtues of good cuisine is a question that would be asked by many in our field. Given the complexities associated with the application of field joint coating, Pipeline Induction Heat (PIH), McConnell Dowell’s coating subcontractor, had organised a spare coating applicator in the form of Jim ‘Happy’ Houston who, whilst on standby, displayed an amazing aptitude for extra curricular skills by cooking lunch for the entire crew of fourteen.

For $NZ40 a week, per person, Jim would deliver a range of delicious lunches, which he most often simply referred to as ‘just a little meat and salad for the lads’ when asked what the appetising aroma was.

The fare of the day often included such dishes as beef stew thickened with a slice of white pudding, cacciatore served on a bed of penne, gingered King prawns on rice and salad, or a humble steak, chips and salad.

Whilst these feasts were sizzling, or simmering, down in the stalkyard, another BBQ, or portable Hangi was usually ready to be served along with Paua (abalone), fish, wild pig or mutton bird in a watercress and potato compote. These were some of the equally talented culinary contributions of Potu, Bill and many others who were always inviting other crews to savour their fare.

The communal attitude and care shown towards each person on the site was overtly displayed, with no reduction of attention to the job at hand or company policies, with regards to safety or work requirements. This was indeed a major element of the unique New Zealand experience which embodied the spirit of McConnell Dowell and its interaction with the communities that it works within on each project.