Entire processing plant is barged to Alaska

A Cook Inlet liquid-extraction plant, which has completed its first Alaskan winter, is an example of what can be done to cut costs in the hostile north. Fluor Corp. Ltd. erected the plant, which processed 30 MMcfd of oil-well gas for Marathon at its Trading Bay facility, in only 5 mo. The $2 million plant extracts 2,000 to 2,500 bpd of butane and heavier from the gas and adds this to the produced offshore crude. Plant design was started early in 1969, the 18 x 35 ft skid bases were fabricated and equipment was set and piping installed in March, and module work completed in Aug. The plant site was graded while prefabrication was underway and all foundations were complete by July. The equipment was loaded on a barge and, after a 9-day voyage, was unloaded at Trading Bay. The 5 modules, plus fired heaters and fractionators, were skidded 1/4 mile to the beach, and within 5 days after arrival, all equipment was in place at the site. Processed gas comes from 4 Cook Inlet platforms. The use of skid-mounted modules enabled the job to be executed for about two-thirds the cost of conventional construction practices.