A massive 40-foot steel structure formerly utilized for oil and gas exploration in the Beaufort Delta has been relocated for the first time in many years. Referred to as a “caisson retained island,” the structure was initially constructed in the 1970s for offshore drilling purposes, as stated by the N.W.T. Department of Infrastructure. Originally anchored in Tuktoyaktuk’s harbor in 1989, it remained there until a storm dislodged it a few years ago, causing it to wash ashore.
Last year, the Marine Recycling Corporation (MRC), a salvage firm from Ontario, was enlisted to facilitate the relocation of this unit. Following the formulation of a plan, the company successfully executed the move during the recent month. Weighing around 12,000 tons, the caisson necessitated additional assistance for its transportation.
Terry Camsell, the director of the N.W.T. government’s Marine Transportation Services (MTS), emphasized the collaborative efforts between salvagers, local entities, and companies to devise a viable solution. The relocation process involved the coordinated arrival of two MTS-owned tugboats, which, in conjunction with the salvage crews, managed to displace the caisson from the shore to a dock near the MTS yard in Tuktoyaktuk.
In order to disengage the caisson from its beaching site of three years, the Marine Recycling Corporation personnel deployed tow lines connected to shore, measuring nine inches in diameter. Chain tensioners were utilized to exert a force of 2,000 tons, effectively shifting the caisson away from the shore where it had been stranded due to the severed anchor lines caused by a past storm surge.
Darrel Nasogaluak, the chair of the Tuktoyaktuk Community Corporation, expressed community satisfaction with the successful relocation, noting the restoration of the harbor’s view. The caisson’s new location, an old dock historically utilized by oil and gas companies, has attracted community members who were relieved to see the removal of this remnant from the oil boom era, labeling it an eyesore.
Jordan Elliott, the project manager at MRC, disclosed plans to repurpose the caisson’s metal for reinforcing the harbor’s docks. Additionally, residual fuel left in the caisson’s tanks by the former owner will be utilized as heating fuel by a local company during the upcoming winter months. Presently, crews are engaged in ballasting the caisson to the harbor’s bed where it will be disassembled into eight sections, pending approval from local regulatory bodies for utilizing the metal in dock construction.
Elliott highlighted the stringent permitting requirements governing dock construction and harbor development, underscoring the necessity for local regulatory approval before commencing the dock enhancement project. No specific timeline was provided for the initiation of the dock refurbishment.
Despite the successful relocation of the caisson, Camsell indicated the presence of another abandoned structure in the N.W.T. – a steel drilling caisson, a super tanker positioned on an inverted barge underwater in the Beaufort Sea near Stokes Point close to Herschel Island. Discussions have been ongoing regarding the resolution for this structure, with a Norwegian company, the current owner, contemplating options like sale or scrapping due to its substantial weight compared to the Tuktoyaktuk harbor caisson, indicating a more labor-intensive endeavor.
