David Paganie, Senior Editor
Located on E-Slip at Port Fourchon, the Allison facility is situated on 35 contiguous acres with 1,500 ft of bulkhead for vessel access, fully staffed for 24-hour operations. Allison’s niche is marshaling for deepwater oil and gas development projects. The company provides a variety of specialized land-based services supporting offshore operators in the installation of both topside and subsea development projects in the GoM.
Allison’s combination of services is anchored by their ability to provide heavy-lift services with their Grua Grande - a 500-ton derrick and hoist.
A specialized reel handling system developed by Allison in 2000 is used to lift and transport reels up to 35 ft in diameter and weighing 400 tons from its quayside to a secured storage area. The reels are then returned to the quayside, lifted onto vessels, seafastened, and transported for installation at the offshore project site.
Allison has marshaled most of the GoM’s floating production systems’ moorings, according to Don Orlando, Allison’s COO.
“We have handled more than 50,000 tons of mooring chain, shackles, steel, and polyester mooring lines for at least nine deepwater development projects,” he says.
According to Orlando, Allison has both cross-company and cross-project experience, which has left it rich in technical equity.
“The methods employed by Allison are developed as new solutions are required to accomplish the challenging tasks presented on a project-to-project basis,” Orlando says. “That is the part of the business that keeps all of us on our toes and motivated on a daily basis.”
Allison’s newest endeavor is an 11-acre section of the yard dedicated to the fabrication, testing, and marshaling of subsea oil and gas production components. During the time of our visit, one of the company’s new 275-ton crawler cranes was performing a test lift of a flowline jumper - a 90-ft pipe structure with an estimated weight of 95 tons. There are also seven jumpers in the area in various stages of construction.
Complementing the Allison yard services is a staff of experienced technical and administrative managers and a newly developed supply chain management department. “The onshore support of deepwater development projects requires careful planning,” says Orlando. “Each job requires a job plan, risk assessments, and lift plans. We plan every detail to ensure a successful project.”
Allison’s supply chain management department encompasses such tasks as logistics, procurement, and inventory tracking, shipping and receiving.
“Allison’s Fourchon facility will continue to thrive into the future due in part to Port Fourchon’s close proximity to many of the deepwater development sites,” says Orlando. “A deep channel and the wide range of services offered by its tenants, positions Port Fourchon as an important seaport for conducting support operations for deepwater projects in the GoM.”•
