North Caspian Base project

The NCB is intended to be the primary Oil Spill Response (OSR) base for the client in the northern Caspian. Besides OSR, the consortium’s Marine Logistics (ML) department expressed its interest to make use of the NCB for transport of personnel and light clean cargo to the various offshore sites.

Synergy
The feasibility study elaborates on the potential synergy between the requirements of the different users and concludes with a recommendation of the most suitable site for such base. The feasibility study was conducted following the standard Kazakh guidelines for this technical-economical justification (= TEO).

Ecology
Initially the client identified three potential sites for the NCB on the north coast of the Caspian Sea near Atyrau in the Republic of Kazakhstan (RoK) and a fourth (deeper-water) site was added during the study. A very important point of attention is that all potential sites are situated in an ecological zone, viz. the Ural River Delta that consists of reed beds that became the habitat of many birds and other species. To this area RoK Resolution no. 1087 – Special Ecological Requirements (31 July 1999) applies stipulating the requirements for the state nature preserve zone in the North Caspian. During the feasibility study of the NCB these requirements have been considered.

Furthermore, the client identified a number of operational requirements for the main potential users of the NCB. WBK prepared the scope of work for the field surveys which were conducted as part of the contract (topographical/bathymetrical survey, geotechnical survey, environmental/ecological survey). In addition, a water level and wave study was performed and an assessment of the sedimentation of the access channel.

Result
On basis of the requirements and the survey and study results, WBK has developed layout plans of the onshore base facilities as well as of the port basin and access channel for each site. For the two most promising sites pre-conceptual designs were generated for the main facilities and the construction costs have been estimated. These cost estimates have been integrated with the Multi Criteria Analysis that has been prepared to provide the client a solid basis for selection of most favourable location for the development of this North Caspian Base which will contribute to the client’s environmental preparedness.