By the numbers, transporting a seawater treatment plant (STP) from Indonesia to the North Slope of Alaska was one for the books. It’s estimated the plant construction and move required 1,000 people working in various roles to move hundreds of parts along the 7,000-mile journey over two years. To support this effort, Lynden companies moved shipments by air, land and sea. The international project required 430 international and domestic customs clearances, nearly setting a record at Lynden Logistics. “[This was] the second-largest customs entry ever prepared and submitted by Lynden,” says Matt Bykowski, Lynden Logistics Director of Compliance. “It took extensive knowledge of international brokerage requirements to keep up with constantly changing tariffs.”
The plant facility was fabricated in Southeast Asia and voyaged to Alaska’s North Slope above the Arctic Circle via heavy-lift ship. The sheer number of shipments, transportation modes and deadlines made it one of the more complex projects for the Lynden team this year. Measuring 440 feet long, 184 feet wide, 90 feet high and weighing 30 million pounds, the facility is designed to process seawater for industrial uses like oil and gas production. Delivering the building blocks to construct it and getting it up and running was the final piece in Santos’ Pikka project.
“Working with Lynden on this project was truly exceptional,” says Trevor Quickel, Santos Materials Logistics Supervisor. “Their expertise across air, land, and sea logistics, combined with their commitment to problem-solving, kept an incredibly complex effort moving flawlessly. The Lynden team operated as an extension of our own, and their dedication was a major factor in the successful delivery of the seawater treatment plant to the North Slope.”
Freight for the project started moving in early 2023 with pipe spools and other parts coming in from Canada to support the production facility build. “Our International team in Seattle handled various parts going to Indonesia for the construction of the STP,” says Darina Sary, Lynden Logistics Regional Operations Manager. “We coordinated many shipments, including a charter flight out of Chicago into Batam, Indonesia, consisting of main control units, an HVAC system, and other electronics.” Lynden’s Regional Operations Manager Jason Hiti-Shannon was on the tarmac in the middle of the night to oversee the crating and loading for that specific charter. Lynden and its local partners handled the final mile delivery from Singapore to the island of Batam, which is only accessible by ferry and barge.
The shipments were crucial to fast-tracking the manufacture of the seawater treatment plant in Indonesia so it could be transported to the North Slope of Alaska. “Our array of services, including air freight, ocean freight, brokerage, charters, barging with Alaska Marine Lines and trucking via Lynden Transport, allowed us to offer a one-stop shop for all of the customer’s freight forwarding needs,” says Elodie Gergov, Director of International Operations.
According to Gergov, the project included some unique shipping challenges including delays of cargo deliveries during holidays and receiving random pieces that were not on the parts list. “We persevered with rush crating for the parts to make charter flight deadlines and other special tasks to present a seamless and worry-free experience for Santos,” she explains.
The Lynden team outside the treatment plant.
Lynden Logistics, Alaska Marine Lines, Lynden Oilfield Services and Lynden Transport are still involved in transporting parts and supplies for the project. “We are importing small parts for this build to get things finished, including at least two hot shipments every week and a recent ocean shipment from Dubai,” Sary explains. The latest shipment in the works is a specialized injection compressor motor coming from Brazil via ocean to the North Slope.
As Santos was putting the finishing touches on the plant earlier this year, Santos Materials and Logistics Advisor Tom Hendrix extended an invitation to the Lynden group who worked closely with his team during the project. “We were all invited to Prudhoe Bay to tour the plant,” Sary says. “It was a thoughtful gesture and a testament to the close partnership we build with our customers. It was amazing to be onsite and see the size of the plant. We knew getting all the pieces delivered on time was critical to finishing the project, so it was meaningful to see it in person and know Lynden played such a big part in getting it there.” Santos completed its Pikka Phase I project early, allowing for startup of the project in early 2026. Pikka is expected to produce 80,000 barrels of oil a day helping to boost U.S. production.
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