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and loading stations. The total land area required by the yard will depend
on the amount of pipe which must be coated and the life expectancy of off-shore
pipeline installations.
The yard site should be level, well-drained, and have a low water table.
The land must also have a high load-bearing capacity due to the weight of the
pipe sections, raw materials, machinery, and moving equipment involved in
pipe coating operations. The yard must be located at the waterfront and
preferably have access to a railway. Pipe sections will be shipped from the
steel mill on barges or railroad cars. Sand, cement, and iron ore may be
shipped to the yard by boat, rail, or truck. Other materials (mastic, wire
mesh, equipment, etc.) are usually delivered by truck. The yard must have
access to at least 750 feet of wharf frontage to load two supply barges
simultaneously, with a minimum channel depth of ten feet for barges and up
to 30 feet for other vessels.
Proximity to offshore activity and to other onshore oil and gas facili-ties
also influences the location of a pipe coating yard. Nearby service
bases or pipeline installation support bases provide a base of operations
for workboats and allow the pipe coating company to maintain close contact
with the pipelaying company and oil and gas companies
.
A pipe coating company usually decides on the location of a new yard
after being awarded a contract by the pipeline owner. However, the company
may negotiate land options before receiving a contract if the leasing region
contains many tracts and petroleum companies and sizable capital expenditures
for leases and exploration. Once the yard is developed, its level of activity
will depend on the total length of the offshore pipeline system and the timing
of pipelaying operations.
The factors influencing the decision to establish a new coating yard in
a frontier region include (1) existing yards elsewhere in the region, (2) the
ability of existing yards to meet offshore demands, and (3) whether subse-quent
lease sales are expected in the region.
Impacts on the Local Economy
The labor requirements of pipe coating yards vary with the capacity of
the yard and the duration of offshore pipelaying operations. The business is
characterized by "boom-bust" fluctuations in activity and yard employment
which depend on the demand for coated pipe in the region. Pipe coating is a
seasonal activity, geared to the seasonality of pipelaying operations as well
as to contracts with pipeline companies. Coating and laying operations usu-ally
occur from April to November to avoid adverse weather conditions. Coat-ing
operations begin about six weeks prior to pipelaying operations. Exist-ing
pipe coating yards along the Gulf coast employ from 100 to 200 workers
during peak activity and 40 to 85 workers during slack periods (NERBC,
Factbook , p. 9.23). However, if no continuous demand exists for marine pipe
in the frontier region (as there is off the Gulf coast) , the yard is likely
to shut down completely once the field goes into production.
103
Object Description
Description
| Title | Page 123 |
| Full Text | and loading stations. The total land area required by the yard will depend on the amount of pipe which must be coated and the life expectancy of off-shore pipeline installations. The yard site should be level, well-drained, and have a low water table. The land must also have a high load-bearing capacity due to the weight of the pipe sections, raw materials, machinery, and moving equipment involved in pipe coating operations. The yard must be located at the waterfront and preferably have access to a railway. Pipe sections will be shipped from the steel mill on barges or railroad cars. Sand, cement, and iron ore may be shipped to the yard by boat, rail, or truck. Other materials (mastic, wire mesh, equipment, etc.) are usually delivered by truck. The yard must have access to at least 750 feet of wharf frontage to load two supply barges simultaneously, with a minimum channel depth of ten feet for barges and up to 30 feet for other vessels. Proximity to offshore activity and to other onshore oil and gas facili-ties also influences the location of a pipe coating yard. Nearby service bases or pipeline installation support bases provide a base of operations for workboats and allow the pipe coating company to maintain close contact with the pipelaying company and oil and gas companies . A pipe coating company usually decides on the location of a new yard after being awarded a contract by the pipeline owner. However, the company may negotiate land options before receiving a contract if the leasing region contains many tracts and petroleum companies and sizable capital expenditures for leases and exploration. Once the yard is developed, its level of activity will depend on the total length of the offshore pipeline system and the timing of pipelaying operations. The factors influencing the decision to establish a new coating yard in a frontier region include (1) existing yards elsewhere in the region, (2) the ability of existing yards to meet offshore demands, and (3) whether subse-quent lease sales are expected in the region. Impacts on the Local Economy The labor requirements of pipe coating yards vary with the capacity of the yard and the duration of offshore pipelaying operations. The business is characterized by "boom-bust" fluctuations in activity and yard employment which depend on the demand for coated pipe in the region. Pipe coating is a seasonal activity, geared to the seasonality of pipelaying operations as well as to contracts with pipeline companies. Coating and laying operations usu-ally occur from April to November to avoid adverse weather conditions. Coat-ing operations begin about six weeks prior to pipelaying operations. Exist-ing pipe coating yards along the Gulf coast employ from 100 to 200 workers during peak activity and 40 to 85 workers during slack periods (NERBC, Factbook , p. 9.23). However, if no continuous demand exists for marine pipe in the frontier region (as there is off the Gulf coast) , the yard is likely to shut down completely once the field goes into production. 103 |
