Saipem to Set Up Gulf of Mexico Spool-Base

Saipem said it will establish a spool-base on Greenwood Island, Pascagoula, Mississippi.

According to the company, the spool-base will be a highly specialized site designed to provide support for vessels performing pipelay activities for offshore oil and gas development projects.

With a particular focus on the Gulf of Mexico, the new spool-base will support the Saipem Constellation, the latest addition to the Saipem fleet, suitable for the installation of rigid and flexible pipes in ultra deep waters as well as for heavy lifts of up to 3,000 tons.

Under a long-term agreement, the Saipem spool-base is in a dedicated area within the facilities of ST Engineering Halter Marine & Offshore.

The spool-base will be equipped with advanced welding machines, non-destructive testing (NDT) facilities, and field joint coating systems (FJC). It will also be structured to deal with complex projects such as pipe-in-pipe and HDPE liners, Saipem noted.

“The spool-base supports Saipem’s growth in the deep water field development sector as well as consolidating the importance of our activities in the Gulf of Mexico area, with a locally-based approach and resident assets,” said Giorgio Martelli, president and CEO of Saipem America.