Underwater drilling at Leixoes

2006-09-12

A major harbour deepening project is under way in Portugal with the help of six drill rigs mounted on three barges – a challenging task and an underwater adventure.

Remaking the bed: one of the two ROC D7 rigs at work reshaping the harbour floor at Leixoes.

The Leixoes Harbour of Matosinhos in Portugal is being used by an increasing number of big ships, prompting a project to deepen the port.
The goal is to remove 200,000 m3 of rock, which involves the drilling and blasting of some 500,000 sq m of the seabed. To meet the objective, three barges are being used – two with Atlas Copco ROC D7 drill rigs on board, and one with three purpose-built pneumatic rigs equipped with Atlas Copco rock drills.

The engineers plan to lower the harbour bottom by 2–4 m from its original depth of 6–10 m below the surface. When completed, it will be able to take ships up to 215 m long with drafts up to 11 m.

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