INTERVIEW WITH CHRYSTEL PABION, Project Engineering Manager, on the Tahiti Hospital SWAC project

What was your role on the Tahiti Hospital SWAC project?

My role began very early on, during the preparation phase. As Project Engineering Manager, I was responsible in particular for setting up and monitoring the project documentation schedule, defining the resources required to meet that schedule, coordinating the engineers, following up with suppliers, contributing to the development of the construction methods, and ensuring that all project documentation was ready and approved by the Client on time.

On a marine project, preparation is critical. Before offshore operations begin, risks must be anticipated, weather constraints integrated, methods adapted to limit weather-dependent offshore operations, work documents prepared, including lifting plans, execution procedures, risk assessments and quality records, and the transition between the engineering phase and the construction phase must be organised.

This work may seem very documentation-focused, but it is in fact essential to securing operations. The more we anticipate, the better equipped the teams are to respond appropriately when site conditions impose their own constraints.

 

What made this project particularly complex?

One of the project’s specific challenges was the final pipe section, due to its significant length and installation depth. Installing a single 2.4 km pipe section down to a water depth of more than 900 metres requires extremely detailed preparation. We had to ensure the quality of the pipe fabrication, try to anticipate the weather, manage the constraints linked to removing the pipe from its storage area located on the opposite side of the installation site, tow it over approximately 35 nautical miles, around 65 km, secure the marine area, and then carry out its progressive immersion at the installation site.

The weather was one of the main constraints. It can be analysed, favourable weather windows can be planned, and contingencies can be built in, but it can never be fully controlled. On this type of project, the schedule therefore has to be adjusted continuously.

The Covid context also made the project unusual. The works were stopped and then restarted under very strict conditions. This required even greater agility, coordination and adaptability.

 

How did the immersion phases take place?

The immersion phases were among the most sensitive moments of the project. These are long, highly controlled operations, involving significant marine assets and requiring constant coordination with the maritime authorities, surface support vessels and the teams on site.

During critical operations, it was important to have the right people on site: the Project Manager, the construction managers, experienced operations personnel, and engineers able to quickly understand the key issues. When a difficulty arises, having experienced personnel on site makes it possible to consult, exchange views and implement the most appropriate corrective actions.

The installation of the final 2.4 km pipe section was the most memorable operation. It lasted much longer than expected, with difficult weather conditions, including strong winds, followed by technical adjustments that had to be managed. In those moments, the priorities are to protect the structure, ensure the safety of personnel, and keep the teams focused and confident despite the length of the operation.

 

In these critical moments, what makes the difference?

Preparation is extremely important, but it is not enough. On site, you need to be able to adapt, remain calm, make decisions and reassure the teams.

There is always a dual dimension. On one side, the technical aspect: understanding the risks, checking what can and cannot be done, protecting the integrity of the pipe, and complying with the methods. On the other, the human aspect: protecting the teams, managing fatigue, maintaining cohesion and keeping everyone engaged.

It is in these moments that the importance of trust and team cohesion becomes clear. Everyone needs to know their role, information must circulate properly, and decisions must be understood. Without rigour, team spirit and collective commitment, this type of operation cannot succeed.

 

What role did the local teams play?

They played a very important role. On a project like this, we work with a territory, its practices, its constraints and its stakeholders. Local teams know the marine area, the local habits and the ways of communicating. That is extremely valuable, particularly when securing intervention zones or liaising with other users of the area.

We were also able to rely on local people who had already taken part in and been trained on one of our previous projects in French Polynesia. Some of them took on greater responsibilities. When we see that people have both the motivation and the ability, we try to help them develop their skills.

The human dimension is one of the aspects that struck me most. On site, there were not Geocean teams on one side and local teams on the other. We formed one single team, with different roles and responsibilities, but with a shared objective.

 

What do you personally take away from this project?

First of all, I take away the fact that this type of project remains human-scale, and that is what makes it so interesting. You are involved in the design, the preparation and then the execution. You can therefore see concretely what is delivered on site and assess whether what was planned actually works in practice.

I also take away the importance of anticipation and adaptability. However thorough the preparation may be, the field always imposes its own reality: weather, available resources, local constraints and unforeseen events. You have to be able to adjust without losing sight of safety, quality and the final objective.

Above all, I take away the human aspect. Behind a complex marine operation, there is an entire team that remains united during difficult moments. For me, this project shows that success depends as much on methods as it does on trust, rigour and team spirit.

 

For Chrystel Pabion, the Tahiti Hospital SWAC project will remain a demanding project, both highly technical and deeply human. It was an operation where preparation, adaptability and risk control were inseparable from team cohesion. For Geocean, this achievement illustrates a strong conviction: the most complex marine projects are always built collectively.

“On a marine construction project, technical expertise is essential, but it is trust, rigour, commitment and team spirit that enable teams to hold firm during critical moments.”