The 130 m long vessel, Leighton Eclipse, will initially be deployed in India for Oil and Natural Gas Corporation’s (ONGCs) $US750 million Pipeline Replacement Project 2 (PRP-2) contract in the Mumbai High field, approximately 180 km off the coast of Mumbai.
“PRP-2 requires Leighton to install around 60 km of pipeline from 6 inch to 16 inch in water depths of 70 m to 80 m during the 2009-10 weather window which ends in April 2010, and a further 60 km the following season,” said Leighton Offshore Oil and Gas General Manager Russell Waugh.
The vessel is capable of handling pipe diameters from 6 inch to 60 inch, and has two 60MT pipe tensioners. The Leighton Eclipse is fitted with a 300MT pedestal crane and can work in water depths of up to 150 metres. The vessel is set up with facilities for manual, semiautomatic and fully automatic welding.
Leighton’s contract with ONGC for the construction of offshore pipelines in India began in March 2008.
Leighton now has two pipelay barges operating throughout South East Asia, India and the Middle East.