The first phase of the operation involved module construction in Louisiana.
A 48-acre site was developed on a sugar cane field, which included a 29-acre assembly yard. A total of 3,117 piles and 4,420 cubic yards of concrete were used to construct the site foundations. Site work was completed three months ahead of schedule.
Designed as a two-year process, module construction took place in two phases, the first in May of 1993, the second the following year.
These modules were among the largest of their kind ever constructed. No slippage in the construction process was allowable with the short transportation window available each year. The project employed 1,800 people, the majority being craft personnel in New Iberia. Fluor furnished all labor, materials, tools, equipment, and supervision.
The tight schedule was realized with 4 million safe work hours recorded, as safety was another core element of the planning process.
All deadlines were met in the construction phase, thus allowing the project to be executed as planned.