High-capacity pump skids

The new generation pump skids developed by Framo and Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) target the installation of suction anchors for fixed offshore structures in shallow and deep water.

Framo’s shallow water pump skids have been developed for water depths down to 150 m and are surface-operated, self-contained units. They are often pre-rigged to the buckets by means of special rigging pump skids with umbilicals.

The deep water pump skids are developed for rigs and FPSO mooring suction anchors and can be operated with a Framo ROV or using an external ROV.

Understanding the geotechnical

Together, NGI and Framo have pioneered the offshore anchor foundation technology by developing the design and installation of suction anchors. With the geotechnical expertise of NGI and the pump expertise of Framo, over 130 successful installations have taken place all over the world for 30 years. References include everything from single anchors to jackets and subsea frames in shallow and deep water. Today, NGI instrumentations are an integrated part of Framo suction anchor pump skids.

Record suction anchor installation

When Exxon decided to install a production platform in the Gulf of Mexico for the Diana field, they selected a spar-type platform. Mooring the platform, 12 anchors (buckets) were piled into the seabed to secure the mooring chains. Each bucket had a design holding capacity of 1,500 tons. With a weight of 220 tons each, penetration of 30.5 m and a diameter of 6.4 m, they were the largest made to date. It was also the first suction pile mooring in the Gulf of Mexico.