Open water innovation

Risky requirements, safety leadership 

Works needed to be executed in a very remote location, often over open water and under difficult environmental conditions. BESIX and its joint venture partner Thiess were selected due to their proven expertise in dynamic and demanding environments, and capability to meet greater-than-usual project requirements. 

Located beneath the breakwater’s footprint lies a paleochannel, which is the remnant of an inactive stream channel buried by younger sediment. This increases the risk of ground liquefaction in the case of a cyclone or storm surge. In collaboration with Thiess and through the merging of creative expertise, BESIX delivered an innovative solution to combine offshore stone columns with partial soil replacement as mitigative measure and to keep costs down. 

Taking a slow and steady approach characterised by an unwavering focus on safety-in-design, BESIX completed the project three months ahead of schedule with zero safety or environmental incidents. Chevron’s new offloading facility has been designed to last at least half a century – even in the face of storm surges, extreme waves, and seismic activity.