“Over 2 million man hours. Zero lost-time incidents. At the end of the day, this historic project is about improving the lives of many people.” Norman Christie, BPTT Regional President

TOFCO recently completed work for the Juniper offshore gas platform topsides at its facility in La Brea, Trinidad. The project marks a milestone for Trinidad and Tobago as it is the largest offshore structure ever fabricated in the country.

Juniper is a Normally Unmanned Installation (NUI) measuring 145 feet to the top of the helideck and weighing approximately 5,200 short tons. It was recently installed 50 miles off the southeast coast of Trinidad at a water depth of 360 feet. An anticipated production capacity of 590 million standard cubic feet per day will flow through the Mahogany B offshore hub.

Projects of this size and complexity pose unique challenges. In the end, however, TOFCO overcame these challenges, delivering the historic project safely, within budget—and fully completed and pre-commissioned prior to the scheduled sail-away date. Even with the aggressive schedule, quality was not sacrificed and global benchmarks were exceeded by working more than 2 million man hours without a lost-time incident.

Over the past decade, TOFCO has installed management systems and processes to maximize efficiency and ensure quality control for all projects. As a result, the company has successfully fabricated 10 major offshore structures, essentially establishing the offshore fabrication industry in Trinidad and Tobago and developing a base of skilled workers.

The company relied on extensive communication and planning as well as a team of skilled workers and craftsmen, 98 percent of whom were native Trinidadians—most from La Brea and surrounding areas. More than 750 workers were engaged on the project at its peak. TOFCO’s employee-mentoring model has empowered its workers by providing internationally accepted skill set training, education and career development.

“The construction of the Juniper Topside by TOFCO is as much a victory for Trinidad and Tobago and the community of La Brea as it is for the companies involved in the project,” said TOFCO General Manager Javed Mohammed. “We look forward to leveraging this success to secure future projects.”

Fabrication of the Juniper topsides was significant for the Trinidad and Tobago economy because it provided local contracting and employment opportunities in a wide range of crafts and disciplines, helping to strengthen and stimulate the domestic oil and gas services supply chain. When Juniper begins production, it is expected to help close shortfalls experienced by the downstream and LNG processing plants.

“Over 2 million man hours. Zero lost-time incidents. At the end of the day, this historic project is about improving the lives of many people.”

Norman Christie, BPTT Regional President