Work proceeds at Northstar island and on modules

BP Exploration (Alaska) has island ready for breakup, continuing construction at Northstar Terminal

BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. has its Northstar construction project ready for breakup, with the island completely encased in sheet piling. Islands in the Arctic must withstand both ice forces in the winter and wave action during summer storms, the company said. At Endicott, the island slopes were designed with flat areas, or benches, to dissipate wave action and allow ice to break up.

Benches at Northstar, BP Exploration said, are substantially wider than those at Endicott. The steel, sheet-pile wall, in places as high as 27 feet above sea level, provides additional stability.

At the Northstar Terminal near the Port of Anchorage, a two-year $2 million renovation project has allowed use of the area for major projects including a 2,500-ton compressor module for the miscible injection expansion delivered to the North Slope in a 1999 sea lift and fabrication of three large oilfield modules and other equipment for Northstar to be delivered to the North Slope by barge in 2000 and 2001.

Major Anchorage Northstar contractors include VECO Engineering, VECO Construction, Arctic Structures Inc., Rockford Inc. and Northstar Terminal and Stevedoring.

The 2000 Northstar sea lift (one barge) will include the three-story permanent living quarters/utility module, weighing 700 tons; a 115-ton tank skid and nine pipe racks built by Alaska Petroleum Contractors at the 60,000 square foot fabrication facility in South Anchorage. The pipe racks, 140 tons each, will border the north and west sides of Northstar island. Spring 2000 work force in Anchorage includes 350 at the port area (BP Exploration and contractors) and 140 at the APC Anchorage fabrication site. Other Northstar contractors include: HC Price (Fairbanks); Flowline Inc. (Fairbanks); Houston Contracting Co. and Alaska International Construction.

The 2001 sea lift (two barges) will include the 3,500 ton south process module, 10 stories high; the 3,700 ton north process module, also 10 stories high; a 3,500 ton compressor module; a 600 ton pump skid for water injection; and a 5 ton warehouse and shop building.