Global offshore geotechnical data acquisition, analysis and reporting specialist Geoquip Marine has successfully completed offshore investigations as part of an intensive contract for Equinor and bp’s Beacon Wind development offshore from Massachusetts, USA. The geotechnical investigations gather extensive data about subsurface conditions to inform project development, with the aim of maximising safety and minimising environmental impacts.
This prestigious and highly demanding contract was undertaken using three of Geoquip Marine’s vessels, the Geoquip Saentis, the Geoquip Seehorn and the Dina Polaris. The Geoquip Saentis and the Dina Polaris were employed drilling boreholes for Piezocone Penetration Test (PCPT) and the recovery of high-quality samples and the Geoquip Seehorn was used for deep push seabed Cone Penetration Testing.
Equinor and bp commensurately awarded Geoquip Marine the contracts for undertaking the geotechnical data acquisition for Beacon Wind and Empire Wind, sited off Long Island, USA. The same three vessels were deployed in both contracts and moved on to Beacon Wind immediately after Empire Wind was completed.
“Geoquip’s work with Beacon Wind and the Empire Wind project that preceded it have been tremendous success stories and we are delighted to have worked so effectively with our partners at Equinor,” comments Geoquip Marine USA Country Manager, Flanery Tangang.
“The USA is a vital growth market for us and our ability to dedicate three specialist vessels from our fleet, with our industry-leading technology, our world-class crews and our dedicated onshore testing laboratory meant that we were ideally equipped to undertake a contract of this magnitude and complexity.”
The Beacon Wind development is sited offshore in New England in the US and when complete will provide reliable, renewable power to over a million households in the region.
This first phase will provide generation capacity of 1,230 megawatts (MW) of renewable offshore wind power to New York.
When combined, the active offshore wind projects being developed by Equinor and bp through their 50-50 partnership in the US – Empire Wind 1, Empire Wind 2 and Beacon Wind 1 – will produce about 3.3 gigawatts (GW) of power to the State, enough electricity to power about 2 million homes.
