West Africa

Between 2005 and 2011 Geosyntec provided engineering services for a major petrochemical client and other project shareholders in the siting, geohazard assessment, targeted ground improvement, and foundation evaluation for a proposed on-shore liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing and marine terminal facility on the western coast of Africa. Our role on behalf of the overall project operator included feasibility assessments for site foundations and, during construction, provision of geotechnical assurance reviews during dredging and filling operations to improve site conditions during foundation construction.

A gas-to-liquids project involved construction of a new facility over a thick, soft clay site in West Africa's Niger Delta region. The facility consists of numerous large diameter tanks, processing facilities, and a wharf area. The project's original geotechnical consultant performed extensive site investigation and laboratory testing, and developed a complex site preparation approach involving tightly spaced wick drains (7,000 km of wick drains), placement of 3 million cubic meters of sand fill surcharge dredged from a source 135 km from the site, and groundwater drawdown for additional temporary surcharge.