Background
Perenco’s Amethyst gas field is located east of the UK on the continental shelf; in 2020 Perenco received the greenlight for a decommissioning plan of the field’s topsides citing, high operational costs and a reduction of gas production concluding continued operations as uneconomical, as the primary reasoning.
Petrodec’s Erda was reactivated and converted from a stacked drilling rig into a formidable and versatile multi-purpose decommissioning unit tasked with some of the most complex decom projects.
Challenge
OMC rig move specialists and Towmasters were tasked with chartering a fleet equipped with the facilities to tow and position the 3-legged decommissioning jack-up Erda in close proximity to allow the retiring and removal of Amethyst C1D.
Solution
OMC offshore brokerage team enlisted a convoy of vessels to assist and support the relocation of Erda to this important decommissioning project site. Attending vessels chartered by OMC offshore brokerage for the positioning of Erda were:
- Maersk Handler
- Boluda ASD tug, Brent
- Boluda ASD tug, Ginger
Multraship provided local assistance at the Westerschelde province of Zeeland, The Netherlands.
Results and Benefits
In close co-operation with the Perenco, OMC specialist Towmasters moved and positioned the 3-legged decommissioning jack-up Erda alongside its berth in Vlissingen within tight tolerance for skidding off the Amethyst C1D topside. Once in place, Erda successfully completed the removal of the Amethyst C1D production platform offshore on the continental shelf.
Perenco have a separate extensive decommissioning plans for the decommissioning of Amethyst jackets and pipelines, the activities in question regard jacket dismantlement and seabed clearance and verification.
