Resolve groups haul barge on shore after liberating it from ice
When a platform barge used to assist gold mining operations grounded in shallow water west of Nome Harbor again in April, Resolve Marine Alaska mobilized groups and assets in response
Response groups executed thawing operations to free the icebound 205 foot (62 meter) 1,500-ton cargo barge as they developed plans to maneuver it onto the seaside then elevate it to conduct complete casualty surveys.
With April temperatures round 30º F (-10º C) and warming up in May to highs round 50º F (10º C), together with rising restrictions associated to COVID-19 security, Resolve’s groups efficiently tailored their response plans to beat unexpected environmental, logistical, and locational challenges.
Response groups from Resolve’s Dutch Harbor facility transported pumps, hoses, rigging, and spill packages as they commenced ice thawing operations on the vessel drawing 5 ft of water aft and 4 ft of water ahead.
Due to the vessel’s proximity to the shoreline and heavy ice circumstances, response groups utilized air and land routes to the grounding website to transpor heavy-duty gear used to free and reposition the casualty, safe useless males anchors, and put together for hauling and pulling operations.
Welding and marine companies groups ready the barge for motion whereas response groups on the seaside needed to burst by way of the frost layer to grade the sandy shoreline for hauling and anchor operations.
Using Resolve barges and bulldozers, the barge was repositioned enabling groups to tug and stabilize the vessel on the seaside. Even with 1.5-meter curler baggage below the hauled vessel, groups solely created a 24 inch clearance from the keel and wanted extra peak to correctly place stands below the barge.
Additional gear and crew have been secured to raise the barge with sufficient clearance for stands fabricated on-site to be positioned securing the vessel for restore surveys.
Resolve Marine’s response to the grounded mining barge, executed whereas adhering to strict security protocols, required detailed coordination between land and sea operations as groups labored collectively to take away ice particles, safe tow factors, put together seaside grading, set up useless males, reposition the vessel, pull onshore, and supply extra elevate for blocking.
“Working in cold arctic waters, negotiating air and sea logistics, managing heightened safety requirements, and fabricating on-site, created an intricate response scenario for Resolve,” mentioned A.W. McAfee, General Manager, Resolve Alaska, “This is definitely one project where experience and innovation played a key role in our ability to efficiently position the cargo barge for the repair and recovery phase.”
Over a two month interval, Resolve Marine Alaska efficiently executed an intense response operation ensuing within the vessel’s stabilized and elevated standing on the Nome, Alaska shoreline in preparation for restoration operations.
