11 MARCH 2025 WorldWide Drilling Resource® Geotechnical Work Underway at Tuna Processing Plant Adapted from Information by the Solomon Island Government The Solomon Islands’ Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources identified Bina Harbour as a prime site for development of a publicly funded, climate-resilient tuna port, serving as a tuna processing plant financed and operated by a private investor. Geotechnical investigations are crucial to understanding the site’s subsurface conditions and soil characteristics. Test results will inform infrastructure foundation design and cost estimates. The project continues to move forward with geotechnical investigations on-site. Local subcontractors were actively involved in excavating test pits to examine shallow lying soils across six locations at Bina Harbour as part of the geotechnical investigation. Further site work will include drilling six boreholes to depths between 65 - 100 feet and the establishment of two standpipes to allow for seismic testing. The Solomon Island Maritime Authority and Project staff will be surveying Bina Harbour to scope the need for navigation aids, allowing large vessels to safely transit through the waterway when servicing the new port. Environmental and social safeguard discussions will also take a step forward as the project begins consultations with key Solomon Island Government ministries and potential development partners to talk about the safeguards framework to protect environmental and social features in and around Bina Harbour. Fred Conning, Deputy Project Director speaking on behalf of the Bina Harbour Project Office said the efficient execution of these technical tasks is imperative. “At this stage, we need to understand the site’s characteristics and ensure data collection is completed to accurately categorize the physical and social environment. This will lead to informed and better decisions to progress the project’s technical design and cost estimates.” He went on to say that “the Bina Harbour Project Office has been proactively consulting with the community, providing detailed background information and emphasizing the importance of early site investigations such as geotechnical survey.” An induction and community consultation session covering the project layout design was conducted to ensure community members were well-informed and involved in the project’s development. The project, once established, will enable Solomon Islands to capture more of the tuna value chain, diversifying and growing Malaita’s economy. Editor’s Note: In between our print issues, the WWDR Team prepares an electronic newsletter called E-News Flash by WorldWide by WorldWide Drilling Resource®. This newsletter is filled with articles not included in our print issue. Based on readership, this was the most popular article of the month. Get in on the action and subscribe today at: worldwidedrillingresource.com GEOTECH
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