Expro has secured a new contract with Harbour Energy for a well abandonment campaign as part of the decommissioning project for the Balmoral area, in the UK Continental Shelf.
The contract, valued at more than US$20mn, will utilise Expro’s Subsea Well Access technology with a combination of open-water and in-riser applications deployed from a semi-submersible rig.
Expro’s ability to supply a lightweight open-water system will help to mitigate loading issues during the subsea well access intervention part of the overall abandonment campaign. The company’s open-water and in-riser bore selector technology, which eliminates the use of a dual bore riser for the entire abandonment campaign, is designed to deliver significantly reduced system deployment and retrieval times with lower maintenance costs.
To overcome key technical requirements from the customer, Expro devised an innovative technological solution based on a new build lightweight intervention system, incorporating its unique subsea ball valve technologies. Expro’s existing API 17G standard high debris ball valve was recently qualified to provide a single ball cut and seal on coil tubing. This ball valve technology will be re-packaged into bespoke open water riser housings to provide the lightweight solution required.
The solution developed for this award expands Expro’s subsea well access portfolio and allows Expro to now supply the client with all the subsea well access tooling required for the abandonment campaign on the Balmoral area, for horizontal and vertical Xmas Trees.
Colin Mackenzie, Expro’s Vice President of Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa, commented, “We are proud to have secured this award by offering an innovative approach to meet the needs of this important customer. We believe that our leading-edge technology continues to deliver safe, reliable and environmentally secure subsea well access in support of major projects around the world. We are delighted to further extend the scope of our partnership on this campaign which reinforces our position as a key enabler within the plug and abandonment market.”
TechnipFMC has been awarded a significant contract by Equinor to provide riserless light well intervention (RLWI) services on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.
The two-year contract (valued between US$75 and US$250mn as per TechnipFMC’s definition of significant) runs from 2024 to 2025, with options to extend for each of the three subsequent years. TechnipFMC will provide production enhancement, production data, and pre-plug-and-abandonment services to Equinor using the RLWI method.
RLWI enables well interventions from a monohull vessel, eliminating the need for a riser and the rig required to connect the riser to the subsea well. Instead, remotely operated Well Control Systems are used to facilitate operations on the seabed. This reduces cost and complexity, increases efficiency, and accelerates the timeframe for increased production.
Jonathan Landes, President, Subsea at TechnipFMC, commented, “TechnipFMC has been providing RLWI services to Equinor since 2006. Over that period, the average duration of an intervention has been reduced by nearly two-thirds thanks to improvements in process and technology, aided by the collaborative relationship with Equinor’s dedicated RLWI team. It is a pleasure to continue developing that relationship as we help our client meet demand for energy.”
Elemental Energies has added to its extensive portfolio through the acquisition of Norwell Engineering (North Sea Well Engineering).
This is the second acquisition for Elemental Energies in just five months after it acquired Vysus Senergy Wells, a subsidiary of Vysus Group in December 2022. These are part of a series of strategic acquisitions to cement its position as the leading wells-focused energy consultancy.
The latest deal will increase the company’s total workforce from 75 to 105. Current clients will continue to be supported by the same long-term engineering specialists.
Elemental Energies’ Chairman, Martyn Fear, commented, “Norwell Engineering is a fantastic addition to our business. Their unrivalled experience in delivering major wells projects around the world further strengthens our capability and expands the opportunities to partner with operators, EPCs and other service companies. Their team has delivered more wells than any other independent consultancy, and decommissioned more wells than any of their peers. This impressive track record and reputation for excellence combined with our own extensive in-house capabilities now gives us a competitive edge on a global scale.”
Iain Adams, Managing Director of Norwell Engineering, added, "I’m extremely proud of our team at Norwell Engineering. Over the last three decades we have delivered many industry firsts and been behind multiple flagship projects from drilling wells in world record water depths to delivering more than 500 project managed wells globally since 1989. As we look to the future and how our world-leading expertise can support the transition of the energy sector through decommissioning and to low carbon, joining Elemental Energies is a natural fit and we look forward to integrating our teams to provide best-in-class, independent engineering and project management across oil & gas, decommissioning, CCUS and geothermal projects.”
Elemental Energies is currently working on a number of energy projects including a landmark carbon capture and storage project for the INEOS-led Greensand project, a number of major decommissioning campaigns in both the UK and Middle East, and multiple deepwater field development projects.
Established in 1989, Norwell Engineering has become the go-to wells specialist for large-scale and challenging projects. It has built a reputation supporting governments, regulators and the largest IOCs in delivering expert, independent advice. It has also built a leading reputation in decommissioning, completing its first dedicated well decommissioning project in 1996 and currently acting as project managers for both wells and facilities decommissioning on the UAQ field decommissioning campaign, offshore UAE.
Michael Dafforn, Director of Elemental Energies, remarked, “Elemental is committed to engineering the energy transition, and the expert team from Norwell Engineering will form an integral part of our ambition to build the leading independent consultancy for wells projects, across upstream, decommissioning and low carbon around the world.
“The Norwell team has earned an enviable reputation for successfully managing the largest and most challenging wells projects for clients around the world over the past 34 years, and we are delighted to welcome their wealth of expertise, team and clients to the company.”
Saipem has been crowned the winner of the 2023 Spotlight on New Technology Award by Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) for its FlatFish Autonomous Underwater Inspection Drone.
The award is assigned by OTC for those who revolutionise the future of offshore energy through technological advancement and innovation. For this year’s Spotlight on New Technology award, Saipem was among the 15 technologies and 13 companies selected from around the world. The winners are selected against five key criteria: the technology’s novelty in the marketplace, innovativeness, demonstrated success, broad commercial appeal, and ability to make a significant impact across the offshore community.
FlatFish is an advanced underwater inspection drone which aims to inspect and monitor complex subsea infrastructures in an innovative and safe manner, from shallow waters down to 3,000mwd. The drone features an advanced AI-based control system and navigation features combined with state-of-the-art inspection capabilities which have been demonstrated in a deepwater pilot project executed at almost 1,800mwd offshore Brazil with the support of Shell Brasil, Saipem, Senai CIMATEC and Petrobras.
FlatFish is also part of the Hydrone platform, a ground-breaking subsea robotics programme conceived to support remote, vessel-free operations in order to reduce costs, risks and environmental impact of offshore operations, boasting 90% fewer CO2 emissions compared to conventional ROV services.
Mauro Piasere, Chief Operating Officer of Saipem’s Robotics and Industrialised Solutions Business Line, said, “This prestigious award is a testament to Saipem’s commitment to the development of cutting-edge solutions for the offshore energy market, namely for subsea asset integrity and security surveillance, enabling further cost efficiency and decarbonisation efforts for all future subsea developments for our energy clients.”
Subsea intervention technology specialist, Interventek, has agreed to supply a complete set of 20,000psi open-water well intervention shear and seal values to Trendsetter Engineering Inc.
The agreement allows Trendsetter exclusive global rights to deploy the 5-1/8” open-water valves for the next five years, with the first set to be delivered later this year.
The 20K Revolution valves are designed as a compact, modular addition for lightweight subsea intervention systems. They will provide the safety-critical well control function within Trendsetter’s new 20K Trident Subsea Intervention System, which is scheduled for the first field operations on a high pressure, high temperature (HPHT) subsea completion and intervention campaign in the Gulf of Mexico.
Interventek has previously supplied Trendsetter with serval 15,000psi Open-Water Revolution Valves, which were successfully deployed on multiple campaigns using its 15k Trident Intervention Systems.
Tony Kitchener, Sales and Marketing Director at Interventek, said, “Our new 20k Open Water Revolution Valves is leading the way in HPHT subsea well intervention safety. Qualified to rigorous API-17G and API 17TR8 standards, the valve maintains the superior cutting and resilient sealing capability that our unique technology is known for, delivering a future-proof solution for today’s operators.
“Our Revolution design is flexible and scalable so, with Trendsetter’s valuable and long-standing collaboration, it was natural for us to push ahead together to deliver the world’s first open-water HPHT intervention solution.”
Mike Cargol, Vice President of Services at Trendsetter, commented, “Interventek’s compact and high-performing Revolution valve is the ideal choice for our range of lightweight and modular Trident intervention systems. This technology is the key to achieving a reliable HPHT solution with around a 60% size and weight saving compared to other offerings.
“The result is a robust system which can be reconfigured to support hydraulic, riserless or open-water risered interventions and mobilised quickly on a broad range of vessels with minimal modifications. The bottom line for the operator is enhanced safety, rapid responses, increased operational efficiency and reduced costs.”
Perenco and Petrodec, a decommissioning services specialist, has announced that the A2D platform topside – located in the Amethyst Field, UKCS – has been safely removed for final dismantling.
The operation was successfully conducted using Petrodec’s patented ‘skidding’ technique deployed by its dedicated jack-up the ‘ERDA’ in the southern North Sea. With a weight of 1,179 tons, this was the heaviest Amethyst topside to have been removed so far.
The news follows the Hydrocarbon Safe (HCS) Campaign on all platforms and brine flushing of intra-field and export pipelines, the plug and abandon of all platform wells, and the removal of C1D, B1D and A2D topsides with a combined total topsides weight of 2,900 tons. The final operations to remove the topsides and four steel jackets of platform A1D are scheduled from January 2024.
The Amethyst field was one of the later-life assets acquired by Perenco from BP in 2012 as part a package of SNS assets. Perenco subsequently consolidated its position to 100% on Amethyst by acquiring the participating interests of Centrica and Murphy Oil in licences P.005, P.030, P.050 and P.133. Amethyst consisted of four conventional fixed jacket wellhead structures with helipads and cranes installed.
The platforms A1D, A2D, B1D and C1D had six or nine slots, and six or seven producing wells. The field stopped producing in 2020, following which Perenco UK started the application for decommissioning operations in collaboration with Petrodec.
Rainier Verhulst, Petrodec’s General Manager, said, “The successful and safe skidding operation to remove the heaviest topside to date exemplifies Petrodec’s technical ingenuity as a decommissioning specialist, bringing together the technical expertise of a contractor and the reliability of a decommissioning operator.
“It also clearly highlights Perenco’s integrated approach to late-life assets, first extending the production lifespan of assets by operational efficiencies and investment, then developing innovative and fit-for-purpose solutions to safely decommission the facilities. I would like to thank all of those involved.”
Well-Safe Solutions, a contractor which offers the complete package for well decommissioning, has unveiled a D300 saturation diving system aboard the Well-Safe Guardian rig.
The addition, makes the semi-submersible the only one of its type in the North Sea with this capability.
The custom-built dive spread, with capacity for up to 15 persons, enables safe access to legacy subsea wellhead and christmas tree systems from the 1970s onwards which were originally designed for diver intervention.
“With 48% of overall decommissioning expenditure in 2022 focused on well abandonment alone, Well-Safe Solutions has identified a clear market in mature basins such as the UK Continental Shelf for this technology,” commented Phil Milton, Chief Executive Officer at Well-Safe Solutions.
“The dive spread system installed on the Well-Safe Guardian is a cost-effective, flexible alternative to the industry standard, which typically sees a light well intervention vessel (LWIV) used to plug and lubricate the well before completing decommissioning operations with a standard semi-submersible mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU).
“Our ‘single asset solution’ offers an alternative to the conventional approach and does not require multiple vessel mobilisations and demobilisations. This results in lower operating costs, minimises the risk of weather-related disruption and boosts overall project efficiency.”
Milton explained that comparative analysis studies have demonstrated the value this solution can bring to the wider decommissioning industry as it streamlines processes and costs alike.
“Our data shows that the use of the Well-Safe Guardian to plug and abandon (P&A) five wells over three fields in the North Sea generates a 15% total cost reduction and is 44 days quicker than using a LWIV and MODU pairing,” continued Milton. “We are delighted to be able to bring this solution to market as part of our vision to become the industry’s well decommissioning partner of choice.”
The manufacture, transport and fitment of the dive spread was carried out at Burntisland, Rosyth and Methil ports on the east coast of Scotland.
The system is designed to enable diving operations to be carried out in support of well decommissioning. Typical operations supported include cleaning, deconstruction, barrier testing, manual tree cap removal, reconfiguration of hydraulic controls and flowline removal.
Following further systems integration and testing, the Well-Safe Guardian will mobilise early summer 2023, returning to the Buchan field operated by Repsol Sinopec Resources UK to plug and abandon nine wells using the saturation dive system, the Trident well intervention system and the blow out preventer, realising the full potential of this single asset solution. UK-based RockSalt Subsea will support Well-Safe Solutions with diving services and personnel during all saturated diving operations from the Well-Safe Guardian.
David Whitehouse, Chief Executive Officer of Offshore Energies UK, added, “The UK offshore energy industry has a long history of developing world-class solutions to the challenges it has faced and continues to face.
“This latest development and adoption of technology on the Well-Safe Guardian from Well-Safe Solutions shows an absolute commitment to drive forward innovation to improve efficiency for the plug and abandonment of wells. These efficiency improvements will also have a positive impact on safety and environmental performance.
“After 50 years of operating in the North Sea, this level of dedication to UK innovation is important as we continue to meet the UK’s energy needs using home grown jobs, skills and technology.”
Welltec has announced its Puncher 218 technology has won at the Hart Energy’s E&P 2023 Special Meritorious Awards for Engineering Innovation (MEA). The MEA programme recognises new products and technologies which demonstrate innovation through their concept, design, and application.
“This award is a fantastic acknowledgment of the advances we continue to make within our intervention technologies,” said Alex Nicodimou, Welltec VP for Sales & Marketing.
“We are constantly improving and evolving our portfolio, while also developing new services and new service sizes as in this particular case. The focus is always to help our clients and continue to make operations more efficient, more controllable, and more reliable through technology.”
The Welltec Puncher 218 provides an efficient, e-line conveyed, non-explosive method for equalising pressures between tubular strings. Its innovative design is ideal for extended reach and going beyond narrow internal diameter restrictions, and is currently the slimmest non-explosive puncher capable of creating multiple perforations on a single run in the market.
Jordan Blum, Editorial Director at Hart Energy, said, “Technology has clearly been at the forefront as the industry has challenged the frontiers of exploration, drilling, and production. We applaud Welltec’s commitment to technological progress in the upstream area, and we congratulate them on receipt of this award.”
TotalEnergies EP Nederland has appointed ABL Group, an independent energy and marine consultancy, as marine warranty surveyor for the decommissioning operations of the L7 field in the Dutch sector of the North Sea.
The L7 Restitution Project includes the decommissioning of nine jackets and ten topside modules, including bridge structures from the L7 field. The total weight of the installations is approximately 17,500 tonnes.
ABL will provide marine warranty survey services for the preparations, lifted removals, transportation and relocation to the onshore dismantling yard located in Norway. ABL will also conduct suitability surveys of all the marine units that will be utilised for the project.
Ashley Perrett, ABL’s Country Manager in Scotland, commented, “ABL Group has a long history in the oil and gas sector and vast experience with the challenges and important considerations that can impact decommissioning work. We are delighted to be partnering with TotalEnergies EP Nederland on the L7 project as part of our growing portfolio of work in this area.”
Planning work has already commenced, and offshore operations will occur throughout 2023 and 2024. The installations will be removed using a floating sheerleg crane that will transfer cargo to a barge in sheltered waters near Den Helder, Holland, for onward transit to the dismantling yard located in Vats, Norway. AF Offshore Decom will manage the removal and recycling of the installations.
“Decommissioning of oil and gas fields is a complex task. As a non-productive cost, we fully appreciate the importance of identifying the correct solution to ensure cost-efficiency without compromising safety and quality,” commented Nicholas Kaczynski, ABL Group’s Project Manager for the L7 decommissioning project.
Neptune Energy has announced an agreement to create new ‘digital twins’ of two offshore platforms in the Dutch North Sea, expanding its portfolio of digitised assets to 14 in total.
The twins will enable engineers to carry out traditional offshore work from an onshore location, accelerating work schedules and reducing costs. UK-based 3D technology specialist, Eserv, will digitise the Neptune-operated D15-A and K12-C platforms, after previously creating digital versions of 12 platforms in the Dutch and UK sectors.
This technology allows Neptune teams to virtually visit assets, leading to thousands of hours of work being completed from office-based locations since the twins were introduced.
Neptune Energy’s Director of Operations for the Netherlands, Stephane Lacote, said, “The use of 3D technologies such as digital twins have provided significant benefits including reducing operational costs by enabling traditional offshore activities to be completed quickly and efficiently, without travelling offshore.
“Our engineering teams can now virtually visit platforms to support the safe running of operations from anywhere on the planet.”
Digitising operational assets to improve safety and productivity, as well as reduce environmental impacts, supports Neptune’s aims to enhance asset integrity and provide employees with technologies that support collaboration with colleagues globally.
Saipem has been awarded three new offshore contracts along with two competitive FEED contracts totalling approximately US$650mn.
The first of the contracts was assigned by Azule Energy for the Agogo Full Field Development project – a deepwater greenfield development approximately 180 km offshore Angola. The contract encompasses the Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation (EPCI) of rigid Pipe-In-Pipe flow lines with associated subsea structures. Saipem will mobilise its state-of-the-art offshore installation vessel FDS2.
The second contract was awarded by EnQuest for the decommissioning of existing infrastructures in the Heather oil field located in the UK sector of the North Sea, around 460 km northeast of Aberdeen. Saipem will carry out the engineering, preparation, removal and disposal of the upper jacket of the Heather platform, utilising the semisubmersible crane vessel Saipem 7000.
The third contract was issued under the Aramco LTA programme in Saudi Arabia, where Saipem will execute the offshore EPCI of one platform topside and the associated subsea flexible, umbilical and cable system.
Additionally, Saipem has been awarded two Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) Competition contracts for gas developments projects. The first one, assigned by Shell Trinidad & Tobago Ltd., is related to the development of the Manatee natural gas fields. The other contract concerns the development of the upstream facilities to feed the natural gas PAPUA LNG project in Papua New Guinea.
All of the above further consolidates Saipem’s position both geographically and in key segments for the offshore business, in particular in decommissioning where the company boasts an impressive track record.
Archer has announced the completion of the Baker Hughes’ UK Coil Tubing and Pumping business acquisition made in February 2023.
Dag Skindlo, CEO of Archer, said, “This acquisition is part of our strategy to be one of the leading well services companies in the UK. Together with our well-established platform operations business, Archer is uniquely positioned to serve our customers with a broad range of production enhancements and P&A operations. We are pleased to welcome this highly skilled and experienced team to Archer and look forward to adding value to existing and new customers.”
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