Issue 10
October 2012
Learning Journey to Peterhead See the inside story
Update on Industry Initiatives
Member News
See page 4
See page 10
Golf Day Results
Spotlight on New Members
See page 8
See page 15
DOWNLOAD
Decom Media Pack Available NOW! www.decomnorthsea.com
Director’s Foreword
A
s this edition of the newsletter will be published in time for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) iI thought it would be useful to reflect on what we have achieved over the past year. We now have 205 members from across all sectors of the supply chain, an increase of 46 from this time last year. Although the majority of new members join following one-to-one meetings with us it is also encouraging to see companies joining following recommendations from current members, following participation at some of our events and through learning about us via other marketing streams. We think this shows that the industry is realising that offshore decommissioning is forthcoming and if you want to get involved, now is the time to do it.
We have increased our efforts over the past year to offer our members further ways to promote themselves with the introduction of lunch & learns, bigger newsletters and more opportunities for advertising via the website, wall map etc. Over the past year we have organised 4 learning journeys to allow members to learn about opportunities in other sectors of the North Sea and explore opportunities for collaboration. It is important to emphasise that we are a pan-North Sea association and welcome members from all countries around the North Sea and we do this by holding various events in key locations such as the most recent networking reception in Stavanger in August which was kindly sponsored by one of our Norwegian members, AF Decom Offshore. This time last year we consulted with our members at a workshop in N.E England to find out what challenges they were facing in the offshore decommissioning industry and what Decom North Sea could do to help address these challenges. A number of industry initiatives were identified which have been taken forward over the past year by either a steering or work group of Decom North Sea members and led by our Projects Manager, Dorothy Burke. These include the Standard Decommissioning Programme Template, a funded JIP to stimulate the re-use of equipment, and the development of standard measure for cleanliness. An update on these and other industry initiatives we are leading on, including the research into remuneration models, will be given at the Annual Conference. We are planning another similar workshop in March 2013 to consult with our members and identify new industry initiatives we can take forward. Our number one strategic initiative and still our biggest challenge is to provide our members with more detailed market information and activity. One of the ways we are attempting to address this is to work closer with Oil & Gas UK and provide constructive challenge to their annual survey. We hope that along with facilitating introductions and providing individual advice along with the various initiatives described we are offering value to our members, but we always welcome thoughts and suggestions of other things we can offer or improve on. We look forward to catching up with as many of our members as possible at our annual conference.
Brian Nixon | Chief Executive | Decom North Sea
Raise your profile within the
offshore decommissioning industry
ADVERTISE IN DECOM NEWS
New Members Augean PLC Axis Well Technology
Printed copies sent to all Decom North Sea members
n
Distributed at major UK and International exhibitions and conferences
n
Electronic copies sent to a growing database of over 500 key industry contacts with an interest in decommissioning
n
Available to be downloaded from www.decomnorthsea.com
n
Also, don’t forget about advertising opportunities on our website
n
Email SARAH HILLYEAR for rates and availability at shillyear@decomnorthsea.com
2 Decom North Sea News October 2012
Centrica Energy Clydeport Operations Ltd Epeus Group Ltd Hallin Marine Natas Highlands Ltd PPS Group Red 7 Marine Offshore Tam International North Sea To view the full Decom North Sea members list visit www.decomnorthsea.com
Forthcoming DNS Events and Exhibitions Decom North Sea Learning Journey to Holland and Denmark, 22 - 26 October The aim of this learning journey is to explore offshore decommissioning opportunities in the Dutch Continental Shelf, promote Decom North Sea members capabilities to the Dutch and Danish markets and explore opportunities for collaboration. We will be working with our partner organisations – IRO in Holland and The Danish Marine & Offshore Group (DMOG) in Denmark to organise this visit. For more information and to register your interest in participating in this learning journey contact shillyear@decomnorthsea.com
Decom North Sea Lunch & Learn, Aberdeen, 14 November This series of events allow the supply chain companies to have the opportunity to give 15 – 20 min presentations on their capabilities in offshore decommissioning to an audience of operators, major contractors and potential partners. This event will include presentations from Fugro Subsea, Lucion Marine and Tracerco.
Decom North Sea and East of England Energy Group SNS Decommissioning Special Interest Group Workshop, Great Yarmouth, 22 November A follow-up to the initial launch of the Southern North Sea (SNS) Decommissioning Special Interest Group which was held on 18th July. This workshop will focus on the aims and objectives of the special interest group and identify the challenges and opportunities which are specific to the SNS.
International Salvage and Decommissioning Event, London, 11 December Organised in partnership with the Society of Underwater Technology (SUT), this event will focus on sharing ideas and experiences between the salvage and offshore decommissioning sectors.
Decom North Sea Learning Journey to Louisiana, 21 – 25 January The decommissioning industry is well established in the Gulf of Mexico with thousands of structures already removed, the aim of this learning journey will be to gain an understanding of how decommissioning is undertaken in the Gulf and explore possible business opportunities for DNS members particularly for future deeper water decommissioning projects. For more information and to register your interest in participating in this learning journey contact shillyear@decomnorthsea.com
SAVE THE DATE: Decommissioning – Challenges & Opportunities, Aberdeen, 27 – 28 March A new event being planned by Decom North Sea to advise the supply chain of the key challenges faced by operators when undertaking an offshore decommissioning project, and to inform the operators of innovative solutions and techniques which the supply chain can offer to address these challenges. This event will include presentations from operators, an exhibition area and 1-2-1 opportunities. A dinner will be held on the evening of the 27th. On the 28th a workshop will be held to consult with Decom North Sea members on future industry initiatives Decom North Sea should be taking forward. More information will be available on the DNS website shortly or contact Sarah Hillyear to discuss in more detail.
Future Decom North Sea Lunch & Learns Each of these lunch & learn events will have 3 complimentary Decom North Sea members presenting on their capabilities and experience in the offshore decommissioning industry. The purpose of these events is to promote the supply chain capabilities to the operators and major contractors as well as to allow the rest of the supply chain to seek opportunities for collaboration. If you are interested in participating at one of these events, please contact Sarah Hillyear on 01224 452170 or shillyear@decomnorthsea.com
Please visit www.decomnorthsea.com for details of future events and to book your place on any of the Decom North Sea events listed above. October 2012 Decom North Sea News 3
Update on Industry Initiative Initiatives Update on Industry Standard Decommissioning Programme Template
D
ecom North Sea (DNS) has been involved in an exciting initiative this year, working in collaboration with the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and a workgroup of DNS member companies.
A draft decommissioning programme template created by the workgroup, DECC and DNS was circulated to government departments, industry and other stakeholders via DNS members and Oil & Gas UK. Over fifty responses were received and the range of comments collated into a final draft document by DECC and DNS. This draft was reviewed by the workgroup in September and a final nonderogation case template produced which will be run as a test case with operators during Q4 2012. Any updates arising will then be incorporated into a standard non-derogation template which will be adopted by DECC in early 2013 for a trial period alongside the existing guidelines. It is anticipated that a final version of both non-derogation and
derogation cases of the template will be live for all submissions from late 2013, leading to an online template version on the DECC portal in 2014. This has been a great example of collaboration between operators, government, stakeholders and wider industry to produce an industry standard which will be of significant benefit during the decommissioning process. DNS are delighted to have been instrumental in such a project and look forward to both future phases on this project and also building on this collaborative working model to tackle other key industry challenges. n
Remuneration Models Update
I
n 2010 Accenture partnered with the Robert Gordon University and coached a group of MBA students to develop a paper on contracting strategies for decommissioning in the North Sea. Decom North Sea supported the study and organised an industry Support Group to assist the development of the paper. During a meeting held on Sep 2011, it was recommended to develop a Framework/Matrix Analysis to address each decommissioning phase from a risk perspective. A draft framework was presented by Accenture during the Offshore Decommissioning Conference held in October 2011, when 200+ delegates were asked to assess the framework and complete it for one decommissioning phase/ type of structure. Over 70% of the delegates supported the idea to further develop the framework.
The Decom North Sea Steering Group which includes David Hoare, BP; Torleif Gram, Aker Solutions; Iain Campbell, Currie & Brown, Stuart Wordsworth, InterAct and led by the board champion Dick Lagerweij from SMIT Marine Projects helped to produce a survey which was sent out to all of the members of Decom North Sea asking them to rank the
impact of a number of risks against the 9 phases of decommissioning and to assess how controllable the risks are for an offshore structure that they are familiar with. They were also asked to suggest appropriate remuneration models for each phase of decommissioning. Accenture have analysed the results of the survey and will present on the key findings at the annual conference as well as recommendations for going forward. The full report is available to download from the Decom North Sea website along with high level guidelines on appropriate remuneration models for each of the 9 phases of decommissioning. n
Reuse Initiative Update
D
ecom North Sea (DNS) is project-managing a Joint Industry Project (JIP) on behalf of partners Marathon, BP, Shell, CNRI and the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) to promote the reuse of equipment during oil and gas decommissioning. This will encompass a range of activities to stimulate the reuse market in the North Sea. As outlined in issue 9 of the newsletter, the activities will involve a pilot project focusing on the reuse of valves, a study on reuse cases across the oil and gas industry and a third initiative to examine platform inventories and their potential reuse/resale value.
Valve Reuse Pilot Project The JIP operator members have completed their valve inventory compilation and the data has been collated by DNS. An Expression of Interest was issued in September which will lead to an ITT being offered to shortlisted organisations, with the selected company/companies then working 4 Decom North Sea News October 2012
with DNS on behalf of the JIP partners. Phase 1 of the Valve study will consider the total inventory, identify those valves likely to give the best returns and carry out refurbishment and sales of those valves currently available during the operator decommissioning activities.
Oil & Gas Reuse Study A study is being commissioned to gather data on reuse in the North Sea and other geographies to establish factors which could influence the wider adoption of reuse models. Platform Inventory Reuse Valuation An Expression of Interest will be issued to seek organisations able to provide an indicative valuation of the DNS-collated JIP partner platform inventories. For more information on the Reuse Initiative contact Dorothy Burke on 01224 452174 or dburke@decomnorthsea.com n
archerwell.com
Decommissioning delivered. As an expert provider of integrated plug and abandonment services, we supply a range of unique and innovative technology supported by specialists dedicated to meeting the challenges our customers face. By continuing to expand our service offering, we are able to provide our clients with the capability to reduce their contractor interfaces - as we become a dedicated single source provider of all plug and abandonment and decommissioning services. Archer delivers better wells.
Š Archer 2012
October 2012 Decom North Sea News 5
Decommissioning of platforms, tHe netHerlanDs.
meeting YoUr eVerY cHallenge
Boskalis is a leading global dredging and marine expert. With safety as a core value we provide innovative and competitive solutions for our clients in the Energy sector. From feasibility studies, design and execution to IRM and operational services.
www.smit.com www.boskalis.com
Our solutions cover: Engineering, management and execution of offshore decommissioning projects services (FEED studies, jacket and topside removal & disposal, subsea inventory removal & disposal) Oil & LNG import/export facilities Drilling & Production facilities Pipelines & Cables Renewable Energy +31 10 454 99 11 (24/7) MaRInE.pROjEcts@sMIt.cOM
6 Decom North Sea News October 2012
Focus on Peterhead
Learning Journey to Peterhead
D
ecom North Sea took 16 member companies on a learning journey to Peterhead in August to understand what Peterhead can offer the offshore decommissioning and wider oil & gas industry and to explore opportunities for future collaborations and partnerships. Peterhead has a long successful history of supplying services to the energy sector. For many years Peterhead Port Authority, ASCO and many other businesses in the local area have provided a leading logistics centre for offshore support and played a key role in providing services to the subsea sector. The area has built up a vast experience of servicing North Sea oil and gas activity. The new Smith Quay at Peterhead Port can accommodate vessels up to 170 metres long and has a minimum water depth of 10 metres. Smith Quay has a working area of 16,000 square metres - including heavy-lift and module skidding capabilities - and full quayside servicing. Peterhead is also home to Nuvia SITA NORM’s new, multi-million pound treatment facility, which cleans and recycles equipment from North Sea oil and gas operations affected by Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM). The facility is unique in the UK in that it has its own approved, on site disposal route. The majority of delegates travelled up to Peterhead from Aberdeen by bus which was kindly sponsored by Aberdeenshire Council.
Score Group, an intelligent valve and gas turbine solutions company, hosted the delegates in their facilities for a series of presentations from the following key players in Peterhead: Peterhead Decommissioning Ltd: A consortium of Broad Cairn, Dales Engineering, Enviroco, SCORE and Nuvia SITA NORM who offer a wide range of experience and expertise to the offshore decommissioning market. Peterhead Energy Hub: A partnership between Peterhead Port Authority and ASCO. The aim of Peterhead Energy Hub is to build on their established success in the oil and gas industry and become recognised as a centre of excellence for the renewable, decommissioning and subsea industries. Nuvia & Nuvia SITA NORM: A specialist supplier of consultancy and operational services to the international oil and gas industry. Providing Radiation Protection Advice, the processing of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) contaminated components and Decommissioning and waste management, through their unrivalled track record servicing the nuclear industry.
The delegates were then given a tour of Peterhead Port and Nuvia SITA NORM’s facilities. This learning journey to Peterhead is part of a series of learning journeys organised by Decom North Sea. At the end of October, DNS are taking a group of companies to the Netherlands and Frederikshavn in Denmark to learn about the decommissioning opportunities in the Dutch and Danish Continental Shelves and explore opportunities for collaboration. Further learning journeys are planned to Esbjerg in Denmark in November and in early 2013 to Louisiana and Norway. If you are interested in finding out more about any of these visits or would like to participate please contact Sarah Hillyear on 01224 452170 or shillyear@decomnorthsea. com n
October 2012 Decom North Sea News 7
Update on Industry DNS Golf DayInitiative 2012
Decom North Sea Golf Day 2012
T
he Decom North Sea Golf Day was held on one of the rare sunny days this summer in August at Edzell Golf Club. 8 teams participated in the 4 ball, better ball competition which was sponsored by KDC.
The winning team with 124 points was Falck Nutec with Adam Sinclair, David Lamb, David Mutch and Allan Michie. The individual winner was Stuart Rose from Bureau Veritas with a Net Score of 63 and runner up was Adam Sinclair from Falck Nutec with Net Score of 67. Longest drive was Neil Davidson from Halliburton’s team. Nearest the pin on the 6th hole was won by Mark Brady from Maclay, Murray & Spens and Tom Leeson from Halliburton won the nearest the pin on the 17th. Decom North Sea’s Dorothy Burke scooped up all the lady prizes for nearest the pin, longest drive etc. (We just won’t mention that she was the only female player!!) The booby prize was won by James McLean from Bureau Veritas much to the relief of last year’s booby prize winner Brian Nixon who didn’t think the colour of the John Daly trousers donated by CNRI suited him! Prizes for the day were kindly donated by CNRI, Falck Nutec, John Lawrie, Lerwick Port Authority, Marathon and Trac. n
8 Decom North Sea News October 2012
s Team The Tailenders – Dorothy Burke, Nigel Jenkins, Gordon Hobkirk and Mark Brady s
s
Clockwise from top left : Team Stork – Roddy James, Mark Coull, Ian Whitehead, James Broadribb and their caddie for the day Dave Hamill Team DNS & Friends – David Smallman, Brian Nixon and Chris Gray Team Falck Nutec – Winners - Adam Sinclair, David Lamb, David Mutch and Allan Michie Team PDL – Colin Manderson, Roy Watterson, Billy Duncan and Simon Gibb Team Halliburton – Russ Thompson, Tom Leeson, Callum Falconer and Neil Davidson
Team OIS – Michael Noble, Chris Hay, Kevin Bainbridge and David Murray
October 2012 Decom North Sea News 9
Member News AKD Engineering Announce Alliance Agreement for Offshore Decommissioning
A
KD Engineering Ltd and an undisclosed. (NYSE:TTI) will shortly announce their agreement to form an Alliance to jointly offer Integrated End-to-End Offshore Platform Decommissioning and Well Abandonment Services in the Southern North Sea.
The Alliance will operate from its joint base in Lowestoft, Suffolk, UK to offer a wide range of offshore services such as Integrated Project Management, Late Life Asset Studies and Modifications, Topsides Enabling Works and Decommissioning, Automation, De-manning and Replacement Energy Generation, Rig-based or Rigless Well Plug & Abandonment, Topside and Subsea Diamond Wire Saw Cutting, Integrated Health & Safety Management, Logistics and Waste Stream Management & Disposal. AKD Engineering have supplied a wide variety of fabrication and machining services to a diverse range of markets for many years earning the company an excellent reputation. AKD is one of the UK’s largest and most respected manufacturers of equipment for the international energy industry. Widely regarded as a world-leader in the manufacture of bespoke equipment for subsea oil and gas projects, we also have a highly successful track record in the topside and process sectors. We work with operators and installation contractors around the world, who recognise our proven ability to deliver value and reduce risk in projects. www.akd-engineering.co.uk n
ACES Expands Multi-String Casing Decommissioning Services
A
bandonment & Cutting Energy Services (ACES) has expanded its multi-string casing decommissioning services after listening to industry feedback.
The UK based company now provides services using subsea diamond wire saws, as well as subsea drilling/pinning machines which secure conductors with degraded connectors subsea to provide 100% confidence during recovery. The industry is set to benefit from ACES’s in-depth knowledge and highly-skilled experience in Conductor and Multi-String Casing Recovery; Topside Casing Cutting; Subsea Casing Cutting; Drilling and Pinning; Subsea Drilling and Pinning; Casing Cold Cutters; and Technical and Engineering Planning, as the company continues to be recognised for its significantly detailed approach from the initial planning stage through to completion. ACES focuses its attention on industry needs and demands, and in addition to enhancing their services, they have created a website dedicated to helping the industry better understand the decom-missioning process and range of technical and logistical options available. Managing Director, Stuart Kilnan comments; “Our integrated approach to multi-string casing recovery means we are well-placed to offer our services globally on all decommissioning projects, whilst providing cost effective solutions in challenging environments. Our project management skills combined with technical knowledge offers added value on all projects.” For more in-depth information and useful industry resources, visit www.aces-engineering.com n
10 Decom North Sea News October 2012
Douglas-Westwood Launches a New Oil and Gas Practice
L
eading international energy business advisors Douglas-Westwood has opened a new office in Houston and appointed R. Michael Haney to lead its professional team. Located at Two Allen Center in Houston’s central business district, the new facility forms a core part of the company’s growth strategy and will manage the Douglas-Westwood group’s Advisory and Research business in the world’s energy capital as well as across the Latin America region.
Mr. Haney has more than a dozen years’ experience consulting for energy clients with Accenture, Arthur D. Little and Booz Allen Hamilton. He has completed consulting projects for most of the supermajor international oil companies, many of the world’s national oil companies and several oilfield service clients. He also worked in industry and investment banking and he co-founded and later sold a software technology startup. Andrew Reid, Group CEO commented “Houston is an important market for our services and is core to our continued internationalization, building on the investment in expanding our North American, European and Asian footprint in previous years. We already serve a large number of energy clients in the Houston area and throughout the US Gulf Coast region, and we anticipate a growing appetite for our leading Research and Advisory
offerings in North America and throughout Latin America.” Over the past 22 years Douglas-Westwood has been focusing its investment in fundamentals research in the energy sector and building the breadth of its offering. At inception the researchbased consultancy initially targeted the subsea industry but has developed leading insight into seismic, drilling, construction, offshore vessel and operational markets both off and onshore. Best known for research-based products, over 70% of the group’s revenues are generated from bespoke consulting to aid financial, government and corporate clients in strategic decision making from a market and commercial perspective. Reid added “We are delighted to announce the appointment of R. Michael Haney, who has joined the firm as Director and is based in Houston. Mike has considerable experience across the energy
value chain. He has longstanding contacts and relationships in the sector and he understands the key issues and challenges faced by today’s energy industry.” Mike added, “I am very excited about joining the Douglas-Westwood team. The firm uses its deep knowledge of the energy business to help oil and gas, oilfield services and financial clients make better strategic decisions and improve results. I’m especially pleased to be leading our Houston office and its efforts to help a wide range of clients, especially in the offshore and upstream.” A native Texan, Mike has completed projects around the world, including in Saudi Arabia, Peru, Colombia, Algeria, and Korea. He holds degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Managerial Studies from Rice University in Houston, as well as an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. www.douglas-westwood.com n
Enviroco Celebrates Eclipse Success by Ordering Three Systems
T
rials of Enviroco’s ground breaking Eclipse tank cleaning systems have proven so successful that three more units have been ordered, due for delivery in April next year.
Eclipse is a remotely operated tank cleaning system designed to dramatically reduce the number of man-entry hours spent cleaning storage tanks. Using a high water flow rate, at a low pressure, the system is a significant step forwards in minimising the risks which can be associated with high pressure water in confined spaces, a continuing concern in the industry. Alister Wait, Industrial Services Director for Enviroco, said the development team has been delighted with the results from the trial of the first unit and that clients have been astonished at the effectiveness of the system. “Eclipse was more than two years in the making, and putting the time in at the start of the project has paid off. We’ve been seeing fantastic results during trials over the last few months and the Eclipse has really hit the ground running.”
The three new units, which are designed specifically for offshore use but with onshore capability, follow unexpectedly high demand from clients wanting the technology to be more readily available. “Both the practical cleaning capabilities of the machine, and the impressive reduction in manentry hours required, have been even better than expected, and we’re going to be able to take the system around the world to many more clients with the addition of the three new units.” Phil Brown, Marine Technical, Training and Safety Advisor for ASCO Marine, works with a number of Enviroco’s key clients and said the system can only bring benefits to the industry. “I observed Eclipse working on an offshore support vessel and saw how dramatically it reduced the man-entry time in the cargo tanks, and consequently the human exposure to hazards associated with confined space entry.
“Both myself and the Chief Officer of the OSV, whose role it is to approve the cleaned cargo tanks as fit for purpose, were incredibly impressed with the results in such a short time compared to the normal time taken to clean the cargo tanks. “Any innovation which will reduce the exposure of the human to dangerous situations must be better all round, for customers and of course their employees.” Eclipse also has the added advantage of improved efficiency, resulting in faster turnaround times. And the environment benefits too, thanks to the system’s water recycling capabilities. Eclipse is currently in operation in Scotland, with plans in place to roll the system out across the UK and internationally when the new systems are delivered. www.enviroco.co.uk To view a video about Eclipse and how it works, visit: youtube.com/watch?v=96nMxnpth-4 n
A New Lease of Life for the FPF-001
and disposal of more than 200 tonnes of asbestos and naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM). Doug Callum, SVP Offshore Projects, Petrofac OPO said: “We’re delighted to be working with Ithaca Energy and have had a very successful start to the project, maintaining an exemplary safety record throughout the initial decommissioning phase. We look forward to building on this
relationship as we move forward with the refit and redeployment of the FPF-001.” The FPF-001 began life in 1976 as a construction support vessel for the Ekofisk field. The vessel was then redesigned and refitted in 1989 for floating production on the Ivanhoe and Rob Roy fields. Petrofac is now managing the vessel’s complete renovation on behalf of Ithaca Energy and Dyas UK. www.petrofac.com n
s May 2012
s September 2012
Petrofac Offshore Projects & Operations (OPO) has recently concluded the first stage of an engineering, procurement, installation, commissioning (EPIC) project to provide a floating production vessel to be used to develop the Stella and Harrier fields for Ithaca Energy in the UKCS. Since April 2012, Petrofac, with subcontractors ABLE UK Ltd and RigFit Offshore Ltd, have dismantled and removed 3,300 tonnes of obsolete equipment from the vessel and have completely stripped the accommodation module ready for refit. This work has involved the removal
October 2012 Decom North Sea News 11
Supporting North Sea Decommissioning Projects here are a number of characteristics unique to the T decommissioning phase where the cutting of pipes, breaking of joints, and construction of temporary new piping systems are often required.
NORM Solutions Opens for Business
T
he most advanced NORM (Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material) descaling and decontamination facility in the UK has officially opened for business in Aberdeen having gained RSA authorisation from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. NORM Solutions Ltd is a multi-million pound joint venture between Enviroco Ltd, one of the UK’s leading waste management specialists to the oil and gas industry, and international scrap metal and steel trading specialist John Lawrie Group.
Julian Foley, operations director at Enviroco, said the new facility offers the best available, onestop solution for North Sea oil and gas operators requiring treatment and disposal of low level radioactive scale material. “Our facility is designed and engineered to receive, store and de-scale contaminated equipment on one fully enclosed site close to the waste producers own businesses.
“Ultra High Pressure (UHP) water jetting equipment decontaminates and descales tubulars and equipment in an automated, controlled and closed environment, significantly reducing the need for man entry”, said Mr Foley. Ray Grant, environment director at John Lawrie, went on to explain how the site and processes ensure there are no emissions to either air or water. “Waste water is collected, filtered and recycled on a continuous basis, with the removed NORM scale being treated and encapsulated for safe disposal at authorised and engineered facilities.” The site, in East Tullos, has substantial storage capacity and can receive large parcels of contaminated equipment from either ongoing offshore operational activity and workovers, or decommissioning projects. Able to operate extended hours, the facility has the capacity to ramp up processing to cope with peaks and troughs in industry demand. www.normsolutions.co.uk. n
New Challenge for Optimus Decom
T
he team at Optimus’s recently established specialist subsidiary Optimus Decom will be drawing on their wide spectrum of skills and expertise as they set to work planning for the removal of a gas platform located in the North Sea.
The project, which is due to start mid-autumn, presents a new challenge for the team and will provide an excellent showcase for the team’s unique capabilities and expertise, said Optimus Decom Managing Director, Stuart Heggie (pictured below).
12 Decom North Sea News October 2012
He said the project offers a natural next step for the newly formed specialist subsidiary Optimus Decom in their progression towards offering clients a portfolio of overall project management and execution. The four month-long project will include materials and waste management; heavy lift vessel optimisation; pipeline and topsides hydrocarbon cleaning and removal and the decommissioning of process systems. The platform’s location poses an additional test for the team who must also take into account geographically-specific legislative and contractual challenges. The project follows on the heels of Optimus Decom’s involvement in producing a soonto-be launched standardised decommissioning programme template that will simplify the decommissioning project approval process, making it more transparent, quicker and less costly. www.optimusaberdeen.com n
There is the risk of leaks with the physical operating environment constantly changing. Working practices are also often in flux with support services, present during production, not always present. Furthermore, the core workforce often disappears once decommissioning starts. It’s against this backdrop that the Quickflange pipe connection solution has significant applications, facilitating the construction of temporary new piping systems as well as being utilized during the physical decommissioning process. The cold-work solution, that requires no access to heat sources, consists of a modified standard weld neck flange with a patented internal groove profile machined in such a way that it slides onto the pipe. The fact that the Quickflange is modified from a standard flange, unlike other mechanical connection solutions, means that it can be delivered within hours as well as having limited training requirements. Quickflange recently installed a 2” carbon steel connection on a diesel line on the Brent Delta platform which is being decommissioned. Technical discussions are ongoing with the Shell Brent Decommissioning team for the future use of the Quickflange on further diesel lines and other utility tie-ins over the next few months. The speed and simplicity of the Quickflange solution is ideal for decommissioning projects and for operators requiring piping connections that maintain integrity and are safe and effective while not being too expensive when finally discarded. For further information, visit www.quickflange.com n
February 2012 Decom North Sea News 13
ROMAR International Expands Business in South East Asia Region with New Agreement Worth £650,000 berdeenshire-based oilfield service company ROMAR International has entered a two year representative agreement with STEP Oiltools, valued at A £325,000 per year. The agreement will involve STEP Oiltools promoting ROMAR’s range of magnetic separation products within South East Asia, which is a key region for ROMAR.
ROMAR’s core business activities evolve around its innovative designs using magnetic separation expertise, experience and technologies to provide value-added solutions to its clients. The company has developed a range of products and services tailored to suit various demands and applications across the offshore oil and gas markets worldwide. The company provides magnetic separation products and services to operators and drilling contractors globally. The products remove swarf waste which has been produced from down hole activities.
ROMAR International Commercial Director Robbie Gray said: “By entering into this agreement with STEP Oiltools, it ensures ROMAR is continually expanding its product offering into new and existing regions. The South East Asia region is highly important to the company and there is a high level of demand in the region for our range of magnetic separation products.” ROMAR’s patented range of en-mass magnetic separation products are the only technologies of their kind currently available to the offshore oil and gas industry and underpin ROMAR’s position as the number one market leader in this sector. ROMAR INTERNATIONAL currently has 12 members of staff and plans to increase this by a further six this year. The company trades in many oilfield industry provinces including the UK and Norwegian North Sea, West Africa, Gulf of Mexico, South America and now SE Asia, and it is targeting new business opportunities in UAE and FSU during 2012. www.romarinternational.co.uk n
Decommissioning Engineering Verifications Camelot CA Platform Resource Technology (ERT), part of the Helix Energy Solutions Group were the operator of the Camelot field in the Southern sector of the North Sea. ERT Ehavenergy now successfully removed the CA platform for onshore disposal.
The platform was removed in the following sections: • Removed six conductors • Removed the topside as a single lift • Remove four deck leg extensions • Cut leg piles below mudline and removed jacket in a single lift UPI were contracted by Helix Energy Solutions to provide structural engineering verification services and verification of the detailed lifting procedures for both the deck and jacket lifts. The deck unfactored lift weight was 1100 tonnes while the equivalent jacket weight was 715 tonnes. Of note was the agreement to tow the jacket to shore in a semi-submerged state. Observations from Conducting the Work • Conduct an early data search to obtain a detailed weight report, ideally including as weighed data at loadout. • If possible, obtain material certificates for all major structural members where the consequence factor is greater than 1.15 (as defined in GL Noble Denton: Guidelines for Maritime Lifting Operations Section 5.16 or similar). 14 Decom North Sea News October 2012
• Recognise that in most cases, working structural analysis models will not be available, therefore develop appropriate models and conduct test analysis to confirm they are working. • Recognise that the codes and standards applied to the original design will almost certainly be out of date, therefore obtain agreement on current codes to be applied and their interpretation in terms of the various lift, DAF, consequence and contingency factors. www.universalpegasus.com n
Seafox 5: New Decommissioning Jack-up Commissioned and Workfox are proud to announce that the Seafox 5 Jack-Up Shaseafox completed commissioning in
Singapore. The Seafox 5 is a DP2 jack up fitted with 1200t fully revolving crane. It can jack-up and down with 7000t of variable deck load and has a 65m design water depth.
The combination of a capable crane and high cargo capacity makes the Seafox 5 an ideal vessel for installing and removing small to medium sized platforms. As she will be standing on the seabed the Seafox 5 is a safe and stable work platform. For decommissioning work, once the Seafox 5 is alongside a platform, any topsides within the capabilities of the crane (1200t, 26m radius) can be removed in one piece, and placed on deck. The jacket follows. With both jacket and topsides safely sea-fastened to deck, the Seafox 5 can jack down and sail to port for off-loading. A very simple, efficient and safe removal method.
The Seafox 5 can also install and remove 5000t topsides by a skidding operation. The Seafox 5 will arrive in Europe early November and is due to commence working on the Vattenfall Dan Tysk windfarm project where she will install 80 no. 700t Monopiles and 300t Transition Pieces. Over the last few years the Seafox jack ups have built quite a decommissioning track record. Two examples are the support role played by the Seafox 7 during P&A activities at the Camelot platform and the role of the Seafox 1 during the decommissioning of the Shell Inde field, where in addition to the well P&A work, platform topsides were removed (piece-small) using the Seafox 1’s 300 t crane. www.workfox.com n
Spotlight on New Members L2 Business Consulting Limited 2 are an independent consultancy providing management advisory services, regulatory advisory services and decommissioning & waste management Lconsultancy to the nuclear and oil/gas industries. Key Offerings in Oil/Gas Decommissioning • Preparation of Decommissioning Programmes • Management of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) • Integrated Waste Strategy including Characterisation and Waste Inventories • Radiation Protection Advisers (RPA) under IRR99 • Radioactive Waste Advisers (RWA) under EPR10/RSA93 • Radioactive Material (RAM) Transport including DGSA • Safety Culture Assessment • Health & Safety Management Systems and Services • Contaminated Land • Training
Our key offerings are focussed on managing the specific risks from radioactive waste and radiation from both technical and regulatory compliance aspects. Practical Delivery Experience Our team are knowledgeable in a range of UK and International industry standards, processes and have extensive experience in site construction, operations, decommissioning and waste management. Our advice and solutions are based on decades of real implementation experience not just the consultancy theory. Our aim is to support both new and established companies across the sector with the best independent advice to achieve their stated outcome, ensuring delivery to programme and regulatory acceptability. Compliance Driven We are unique with a combined regulatory and technical capability across both nuclear and oil/gas decommissioning experience, allowing cross fertilisation of best practice. L2 operate an Integrated Management System to PAS99:2006 (including compliance to BS EN ISO 9001:2008, BS EN ISO 14001:2004 & BS OHSAS 18001:2007).
We are interested in collaboration with a range of organisations to deliver value to customers and hope that membership of Decom North Sea will help facilitate developing our network of relationships in the section. Mark Lyons, Managing Director will be attending the forthcoming Offshore Decommissioning Conference 9 – 11 October 2012 at St Andrews and welcomes the opportunity to meet with potential partners and clients. For more information on L2 or to organise a meeting please contact:
The company was the first Primary Support Agency established to support the UKMoD in the storage and sale of their decommissioned and surplus assets. Operating mainly in the marine market, over the last twenty years Leafield has established a worldwide reputation for supplying quality equipment and spares for reuse to end users. It commands the highest returns through an ability to store long term and by selling the assets with full warranties after repair, refurbishment and testing. Leafield’s Business Development Manager Gerry O’Regan explains: “Twenty years of experience in decommissioning and disposals has enabled Leafield to develop a unique and highly successful business model. It gives the decommissioning process a significantly higher revenue earning potential than scrapping or selling cheaply “as is”.
Our customised revenue sharing arrangements enable us to share fully, the enhanced revenue generated from warranted reuse sales with the Operators and Stakeholders which in turn reduces the cost burden of decommissioning. The model also enables Leafield to act as a complete “Risk Firewall” between the end user and Operators and Stakeholders. Leafield is keen to establish long term working relationships with all those in the decommissioning supply chain to help ensure that the very best returns are achieved from any decommissioning process.”
Mark Lyons, Managing Director T: 0191 213 1407 M: 07879 491011 E: mark.lyons@l2businessconsulting.com www.l2businessconsulting.com n
Leafield Logistics Some of Leafield’s many services include: • Project Management of equipment removal programmes. • Engineering and in-service support. • Ten million cubic feet secure storage facility. • Ability to handle vast quantities and volumes of surplus assets. • Long term storage with no pressure to sell quickly and cheaply. • Full stock and accounting traceability of assets from receipt to sale. • Extensive customer and supplier databases. • Worldwide marketing and sales of assets for reuse. • Full shipping, containerisation and export services. • After-sales services and upkeep by exchange programmes.
L
eafield Logistics are a company dedicated to the storage and sale of surplus assets for reuse obtained from decommissioning processes. By maximising market reuse values Leafield offers the decommissioning process services and expertise that are revenue enhancing and risk free.
For further information contact: Gerry O’Regan at gerry.oregan@leafieldlogistics.co.uk or on 01249 717123 n
October 2012 Decom North Sea News 15