Resolve Marine Frees Ice-Bound Platform Barge off Alaska Shoreline

Welding and marine services teams prepared the cargo barge for movement while response teams on the beach had to burst through the frost layer to grade the sandy shoreline for hauling and anchor operations. Using Resolve barges and bulldozers, the barge was repositioned, enabling teams to pull and stabilize the vessel on the beach. Even with 1.5-meter roller bags under the hauled vessel, teams only created a 24-inch clearance from the keel and needed more height to properly place stands under the barge. Additional equipment and crew were secured to elevate the barge with enough clearance for stands fabricated onsite to be placed, securing the vessel for repair surveys.

Resolve Marine’s response to the grounded mining barge, executed while adhering to strict safety protocols, required detailed coordination between land and sea operations. “Working in cold Arctic waters, negotiating air and sea logistics, managing heightened safety requirements, and fabricating onsite created an intricate response scenario for Resolve,” says A.W. McAfee, general manager for Resolve Alaska. “This is definitely one project where experience and innovation played a key role in our ability to efficiently position the cargo barge for the repair and recovery phase.”

Over two months, Resolve successfully executed an intense response operation resulting in the vessel’s stabilized and elevated status on the Nome shoreline in preparation for recovery operations.