Independence Hub under tow through the narrow La Quinta Channel  

Project Summary

To tow the large floating offshore platform Independence Hub from its outfitting yard in Ingleside, TX, to its offshore installation location in the US Gulf, a large number of local harbor and ocean going tugs were deployed. Detailed drawings were made for each phase of the tow-out, showing where each tug was to be positioned and where it was connected to. Contact between the tug fenders and platform push boards was checked and potential interference problems were identified.    

Scope of Work

The project scope included:

• Survey the pre-installed tug attachment and push points on the platform;

• Update local tug data base;

• Verify compatibility of tug fenders with push points;  

• Provide detailed tow configuration drawings of the various tow-out stages, such as unmooring, La Quinta Channel Passage, Corpus Christi Channel passage, and offshore tow. 

 Acknowledgement

Photograph courtesy of Signet Maritime Corporation.