The removal of the Brent Delta topsides by the Pioneering Spirit owned by Allseas. (Photograph: Allseas)
LEADING ROLE IN THE DECOMMISSIONING MARKET by Paul Schaap, PAS Publicaties
Just like in the transport and installation of platforms and subsea installations for the offshore oil and gas industry, the Dutch offshore and dredging contractors are also playing a leading role in the emerging market for decommissioning and re-use. Most remarkable are the groundbreaking activities by Allseas, with the Pioneering Spirit. At the same time contractors like Heerema Marine Contractors, Seaway Heavy Lifting and Royal Boskalis Westminster are becoming other major players in this market. Just like in 2016 the decommissioning activities of Allseas attracted most attention. After first removing the 13,500tonne topsides from the Yme Mobile Offshore Production Unit (MOPU) in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea in August 2016, with the innovative single-lift installation/ decommissioning and pipeplaying vessel Pioneering Spirit, the next challenge came in 2017. This project saw the Pioneering Spirit deployed in the British sector of the North Sea to remove the 24,000-tonne topsides from Shell’s Brent Delta platform from the sea, for transportation to the Able yard in Teesside. In completing this project on 28 April 18
NETHERLANDS SUPPLIERS CATALOGUE 2018
2017 the Pioneering Spirit set a new world lifting record. The Brent Delta platform was located 186 kilometres northeast of the Shetland Islands. The massive topsides were loaded onto the Allseas barge Iron Lady in the Tees Bay and subsequently transported to the Able yard towed by tugboats from Kotug. The removal of the Brent Delta topsides is part of a larger contract according to which Allseas will be called upon over the next few years to remove a further three Brent topsides for Shell, varying in weight between 16,000
