A significant milestone was reached in June at the construction site for the concrete gravity-supported wellhead platform (CGS) for Cenovus Energy’s West White Rose Project. The CGS is being built at the former US Military Base in Argentia, Newfoundland & Labrador by the SNC-Lavalin Dragados Pennecon General Partnership (SDP). Local 579 was one of three trade unions responsible for negotiating the collective agreement for the site. There were close to 1400 skilled tradespeople onsite during its peak with 360 UBCJA members. This new labor model proved to be very effective in helping to minimize grievances and jurisdictional disputes.
The conical slip concrete was completed in 69 days with an around-the-clock continuous pour of 8,800 cubic meters of concrete. The CGS is currently towering at a height of 139.2 meters and with the addition of the ring beam will reach 145 meters and weigh 210,000 tonnes.
DVP Jason Rowe and leadership from across Atlantic Canada recently had the opportunity to visit the site and meet with key members of the Cenovus team and UBCJA members. The visit confirmed that the craftsmanship and commitment to safety was first-rate.
“The quality of work carried out by the formwork and access crews during the conical slipform was second to none. Crews battled poor weather, high winds, and long hours all the while working at heights of up to 90m high to keep up with the constant formwork adjustments and the ever-changing access requirements that came with the moving slipform. The work carried out by these groups is something to be proud of,” said SDP’s Deputy CGS Construction Manager Keith Ralph.
The structure is scheduled to be towed to the deep-water site and mated with the topside modules in 2025.
