J. Ray McDermott Inc., a subsidiary of McDermott International Inc., will instal hydrocarbon pipelines for Shell Exploration & Production Company’s (SEPCo) Crosby field, a subsea project in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. Financial terms of the contract are not being disclosed. The oil and gas pipelines will be installed this summer utilising J. Ray McDermott’s premier vessel, Derrick Barge 50. At a 4400-foot water depth, the Crosby project will surpass J. Ray McDermott’s in-house depth record for pipe-in-pipe flowline installation. The previous depth record was set during installation of pipelines for another Shell project, Europa, in 3850 feet of water. Under the contract, J. Ray McDermott will utilise its J-Lay method of installing approximately 10 miles of dual 8in by 12in pipe-in-pipe steel flowlines from the Crosby field, located in Mississippi Canyon Block 899, to Ursa, a Shell tension leg platform in Mississippi Canyon Block 809. Water depths vary from 3802 feet to 4400 feet. Steel catenary risers and topside equipment will be installed at the Ursa platform as well as a 220-ton subsea manifold at the Crosby field.
