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PETROLEUM DIRECTORY: DURA-BASE transforms exploration planning in the Arctic Company’s new interlocking composite mats perform exceptionally
as temporary road and platforms systems in Far North oilfield projects Amy Armstrong Special to PNA
SOLOCO, LLC of Lafayette, La., recently introduced the DURA-BASE Composite Mat System — its latest advancement in temporary road and platform technology — to the oil and gas exploration industry of the Arctic. Having served this industry for more than 40 years with both domestic and international operating locations, SOLOCO is the world’s largest general oilfield construction company specializing in temporary road and site preparation technologies.
DURA-BASE is a proprietary product substituting systems currently utilized as site-preparation methods in the Arctic environment. Prior to DURA-BASE, operators used wood mats, granular fill and/or other materials, operating only “during the freeze.”
Wooden mat systems quickly deteriorate in the harsh Arctic elements and also pose environmental challenges in today’s eco-sensitive working conditions.
“About six years ago, we began to realize that wooden mats just were not going to satisfy new concerns about the environment,” said Keith Pearson, the company’s vice president of sales and marketing. “The sheer cost of procuring wood for mat fabrication, coupled with limited availability of quality hardwoods, motivated us to initiate research and development for a new generation of mat systems.”
Although mat systems historically have been constructed of laminated timber, there is now the option of the current high-density polyethylene, HDPE composition. A totally engineered product, DURA-BASE is not susceptible to the inconsistencies found in natural wood. The product is both environmentally safe and friendly, is 100 percent recyclable, lighter than its wood counterpart and can be stored indefinitely with no loss of integrity.
The mats measure 8 feet by 14 feet and are designed with overlapping lips that combine with a drop-in locking pin to bind the entire mat system together into a solid surface for roads, operational pads and staging areas on soft sub-grades. This interlocking system accommodates spreading the weight of heavy equipment over a larger area. The built-in tread pattern offers improved traction for load-bearing vehicles, heavy equipment and personnel. Polyethylene mats provide engineered solution The DURA-BASE mat represents a departure for SOLOCO from the traditional wood mat systems the company marketed over the last 40 years as it built a reputation as a leader in oilfield construction, according to Marketing Manager, Don Couvillon.
“One of the key benefits of the DURA-BASE product is that it is an engineered product and we are certain every mat will have like strength characteristics and load handling capacity,” he said. “Design Engineers can now count on a reliable performance. Reliability and physical properties just cannot be duplicated in a natural product. Engineers have a proven mat system in which to use in their design models and calculations.”
These characteristics naturally vary with wood products — especially after going through the kiln drying process. Moisture from the working environment — whether it is tropical or Arctic — causes wood mat systems to deteriorate within a few years.
The composite mats are designed to last 20 years or more, Couvillon said. Initially, the composite mats cost more than wooden mats, Pearson said. But in the long run, the composite mats are a far better deal.
“Ultimately, producers will save money because this product will not degrade as a result of exposure to natural elements such as weather, moisture and break-down,” he said. “You will not spend time and money continually replacing and repairing it.”
In comparison to wooden mats, according to SOLOCO’s economic estimates, the break-even point in purchasing the composite mat systems is at 23 months of usage. (Factoring yearly repair and maintenance cost, transportation cost and labor) “The ‘return-on-investment’ is realized quickly and the economic benefits are compounded over the life of the mats due to its long service life,” said Couvillon. Mats stable on frozen ground Another economic benefit provided by composite mats is an extended work season. “These mats will provide a stable working platform in areas where work previously could only be conducted when the ground was frozen,” Pearson said. “Now operators can extend their work year — especially in the Arctic — to year-round.”
The mats have a temperature service range of -60ºF to 180ºF. The transportation of the composite mats to work sites is also an improvement over wood counterparts. A standard road truck holds 16 to 18 of the wooden mats but can accommodate as many as 42 of the composite mats. That’s 57 percent more mats being transported per truck.
“That is a big savings in transportation cost,” said Pearson, noting that the majority of mats heading to Alaska arrive by truck. The composite mats can be put into place by a team of three with forklift — forklift operator and two roustabouts. DURA-BASE proven in the Arctic “Major operators are testing a limited number of composite mats,” said Pearson. “There has been a positive response in their testing so far.”
About 14,000 of the composite mats have been shipped to Canadian producers.
The composite mats are useful in applications beside access roads and drill sites. Disaster relief efforts, heavy haul and lift industry, waste management facilities, as well as military operations, will benefit from the mat systems, company officials said.
SOLOCO will be an exhibitor at the Pacific Rim Construction Oil Mining Expo in Anchorage Feb. 20-21, presenting the DURA-BASE Composite Mat System. For more information about this innovative system, access the company Web site at www.solocollc.com or call (877) MATROAD.
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