Engineering case studies

Foundation drilling support at Courseulles-sur-Mer

Location

Normandy, France

Terra scope

Assembly supervision and drilling support

Technical and managerial support for the engineering development, assembly and operation of a subsea drilling system at the Courseulles-sur-Mer offshore wind farm.

The assignment

The drilling system was developed to create seabed sockets for offshore wind turbine foundations. Terra’s involvement connected mechanical assembly, operational supervision and project documentation.

Terra’s contribution

• Technical supervision of mechanical assembly.
• Operational oversight during assembly and drilling activities.
• Preparation of technical processes and procedures.
• Daily progress, fault and QHSE reporting to project stakeholders.
• Coordination with vendors, subcontractors and the wider project team.

The scope developed with the project, combining practical engineering input with the supervision, reporting and coordination needed to support offshore operations.

Developing seabed sampling equipment

Location

Earlston, Scottish Borders

Development stage

Design and structural build

An in-house vibrocorer programme connecting mechanical design, preliminary static analysis, fabrication and machining.

Design connected to manufacture

Assembly modelling, twenty retained preliminary static load cases, internal review and drawing preparation have developed the engineering definition. This complements the first workshop build.

The first structural build

Manufacturing the equipment base provided a practical test of the workshop’s processes, from purchasing and goods-in inspection through to material traceability, machining and welding.

Work undertaken

• Procurement, supplier selection and material inspection.
• CNC plasma cutting and machining of structural components.
• Joint preparation, fit-up and in-house welding.
• Fabrication checks and preparation for inspection.
• Review of tooling, handling and manufacturing methods as the build progressed.

The two case studies cover design development and the first structural build within the same programme. Further verification and testing remain part of development.

Scientific drilling in Mexico and Greece

Expeditions

IODP 364 and 381

Period

2016–2017

Experience gained on international research expeditions informs Terra’s approach to offshore technical support and client representation.

Expedition experience

Before founding Terra, Garry McGowan worked on IODP Expedition 364 at the Chicxulub impact crater in Mexico in 2016 and Expedition 381 in the Gulf of Corinth, Greece, in 2017.

Connecting science and operations

His experience included mechanical engineering and client representation. On the Gulf of Corinth expedition, the client representative role connected scientific objectives with the work of the drilling and operational teams.

These expeditions form part of Garry’s prior career experience. They were not contracts delivered by Terra Mechanica Maris Ltd.