Hovensa Oil Refinery, US Virgin Islands
Dates: Oct 1, 2007 to Oct 19, 2007
Location: St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
Owner: Hovensa, a joint venture between a subsidiary of Hess Corporation and a subsidiary of Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), operates one of the most modern refineries in the United States. With crude oil processing capacity of 700,000 barrels per day (BPD), Hovensa is one of the largest in the world.
Contractor: Specialized Services Company ( SSC )
Description: The main refinery was constructed in the early 1960’s, and sits atop a dredged ocean floor. Four of the original main lines, which pump crude oil from holding tanks to the main refinery, needed updating, requiring the installation of 4 new steel wall casings.
Challenges: Along the 120′ bore path, 2 (48″) steel casings & 2 (30″) steel casings had to pass through at least six different soil types ranging from coral to sticky clay. This initially proved challenging for SSC because of the lack of binding materials in the soil to prevent cave-ins.
Method: Auger Bore
Results: With over 38 years of experience in all soil types SSC was able to overcome these challenges using time tested technology, finishing the project eight days early with line and grade intact.