Pikka Sea Water Treatment Plant

Kuna Engineering provided critical structural engineering support for the design and construction of the Pikka Sea Water Treatment Plant, a unique facility built on a barge for deployment on Alaska’s North Slope. The facility, which will operate for the next 25 years, supports oil drilling and recovery by treating seawater that is injected into underground reservoirs at well sites.

The project presented significant structural challenges due to its location and the nature of the facility. Kuna’s team, led by Daniel Hertrich as project manager and engineer of record, collaborated closely with NANA Worley and the project owner, Santos, to ensure that all structural elements met the rigorous demands of the Arctic environment. Kuna worked alongside the international design team, including VME (located in India and Malaysia) for the module design, and the barge design team based in Norway. These efforts required adherence to both the 2021 International Building Code (IBC) and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) standards.

Despite an accelerated schedule that saw barge construction begin in early 2023, with above-deck module construction starting in late 2023, Kuna played a pivotal role in structural design and review. Daniel Hertrich dedicated over 1300 hours to coordinating design efforts, reviewing calculations, and ensuring structural integrity. The facility spans 145 meters in length, 45 meters in width, and reaches 30 meters above the barge deck, which itself is 8 meters high. The facility is powered by two 7.5 MW natural gas turbines and includes large natural gas boilers, adding additional complexity to the structural considerations.

Kuna’s expertise ensured that the barge and modules were designed to withstand the harsh conditions of the North Slope and that the facility would function reliably over its 25-year operational life. With an estimated project cost exceeding $100 million, Kuna’s structural engineering services were integral to the successful design and construction of this cutting-edge facility.