Europe

Allseas’ Pioneering Spirit has delivered the Gyda topsides to the Aker Solutions yard in Stord, Norway, for disposal.

Gyda is a field in the southern part of the Norwegian sector in the North Sea, between the Ula and Ekofisk fields. The field was developed with a combined drilling, accommodation and processing facility supported by a steel jacket standing in 66 m water depth. The platform started producing in 1990, with a decommissioning plan submitted in 2016.

After removing the 18,400 tonne former drilling and production facility from the southern North Sea, Pioneering Spirit arrived in Norway on 24 May.

The latest delivery means that, since March 2022, Allseas has lifted more than 65,000 tonnes of North Sea facilities, an achievement made possible by their motion compensation and single-lift systems.

2022 is now on schedule to be a record year for the company with dozens of offshore lifts, ranging from light bridges to entire jackets and topsides, to be undertaken. They include the massive Gyda jacket, which Allseas is booked to remove later this summer.

CRA Tubulars B.V., a new technology company based in the Netherlands, is now formally part of the Shell GameChanger Programme.

CRA Tubulars B.V.’s proposal was shortlisted from the submissions that were sent to the Well Technologies Call for Solutions for Storage of CO2 or H2 in Geoformations and was ultimately selected by a panel of Shell technology experts and GameChangers for funding.

As a result, CRA Tubulars B.V. has signed a collaboration agreement under which it will receive advice and funding to validate and qualify the application of its technology including Titanium lined Composite Tubulars (TCT) and Premium Hydraulic Concentric Connection (PHHC) technology for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) well applications. A six-month testing and certification programme has been kicked off to ensure industry standard (API) qualification as a key step towards field deployment.

CRA Tubulars uniquely uses aerospace certified materials to achieve superior high-pressure performance corrosion resistance under extreme downhole conditions. TCT is qualified for such applications as it can manage the low temperature swings.

Further benefits include light weight and optimum flow performance. An efficient use of high quality, yet widely available materials, delivers a unique and cost-effective, full well lifecycle alternative to conventional materials.

Qualification testing on the patented technology of 3.5 in TCT pipe and PHHC connection will be completed in accordance with API 5C5 Fourth Edition, Jan 2017 CAL II test requirements to 5,000 Psi, and additional Series B testing to -35 degrees C. Prototype testing has shown potential up to 18,000Psi burst and 240,000lbs tensile strength at temperatures as low as -54 degrees C.

Founder Emile Burnaby-Lautier, and Joost de Bakker, CEO of CRA Tubular, stated, “We are excited about our partnership with Shell GameChanger. We want to show that our vision to win the fight against corrosion, can actually deliver a step change in technical and economic performance in the energy sector. By repurposing superior components and materials with recorded operating performance from the different industry sectors, CRA Tubulars has delivered a corrosion resistant alternative completion tubing that is corrosion free, light weight, reusable, stronger, whilst adhering to industry dimensions.”

Veronica Simmonds, Commercial Partnerships Manager at Shell GameChanger, commented, “The Shell GameChanger programme is the ideal platform to accelerate the qualification and certification of technologies. In particular technologies that offer our organisation and the industry reliable and cost-effective innovation and contribute to the transition to an affordable and reliable low carbon energy system. And CRA tubulars B.V. with their TCT technology is part of it.”

Claxton AS, a brand within the Energy Services division of Acteon, a marine energy and infrastructure services company, has signed a collaboration agreement with Norwegian-based supplier Seabed Solutions to add value to its decommissioning projects and help operators fulfil their obligation to return subsea sites to their natural state.

According to Claxton, the partnership simplifies procurement, increases project execution efficiency and reduces costs for infrastructure owners by offering a wider range of dredging, excavation, cutting and decommissioning equipment and services through a single contract interface and by using a combined offshore crew.

Claxton and Seabed Solutions are known for extensive subsea experience and the former is said to have had an operational presence in Norway for over nine years and expanded its base in 2019 to meet industry demand. Seabed Solutions was established in 2015 by a management team with decades of experience leading the Norwegian seabed intervention market.

“As more and more oil and gas installations are getting close to the end of their economic and productive life, the demand for decommissioning services increases. This partnership means that the owners of the outdated installations can get the entire scope of decommissioning services on the same contract,” said Christian Aas, Seabed Solutions Managing Director.

Nick Marriott, Claxton General Manager, Norway, said, “Claxton is excited about the partnership, which will allow us to explore synergies to enhance our client offerings and methodologies to drive growth.”

“Offering integrated services through one contract and a single interface, and with collegial crew use, will help to increase procurement and project execution efficiency,” Nick added.

HydraWell has joined forces with READ (including subsidiaries READ Cased Hole and ANSA), a cased hole production logging, well integrity and reservoir evaluation solutions provider, to create a leading well integrity specialist with ambitions to play a prominent role in late-life oilfield activities.

Both companies have long-established histories of delivering expert well integrity services and solutions for clients around the world. The new combined company will be strategically located with offices and bases in Stavanger, Aberdeen and Houston together with a presence in Alaska, Australia, Brazil, Malaysia and Qatar. HydraWell CEO, Mark Sørheim, will now be CEO of the combined company which will have a total of 75 employees. Total revenue for the combined company is expected to reach approximately US$20.3mn in 2022.

According to HydraWell, late-life oil and gas wells worldwide have an increased requirement for well integrity monitoring, and there is a growing demand for permanent plugging and abandonment of these ageing assets. HydraWell, READ and ANSA will operate within well integrity, with READ and ANSA measuring and analysing well integrity issues with HydraWell remediating the issues identified. The combination of the companies will allow customers to benefit from seamless well integrity planning and diagnostics to barrier installation using digital tools, repeatable and reliable service delivery and effective new technologies that reduce risk and cost to operations.

Sørheim commented, “This is an exciting juncture in our corporate journeys, and we are delighted to join forces with a like-minded specialist business whose services are complementary. This allows us to create a unique offering within the well integrity market to deliver further added value to our customers through deeper knowledge, increased operating efficiencies and improved workflows across their well operations.”

Manager Director of READ Cased Hole, Bruce Melvin added, “READ Cased Hole continues to go from strength to strength and the merger adds to this by positioning our new entity as leading integrated well integrity measurement, analysis and remediation specialists. This will not only enhance READ’s presence in the abandonments market but also expedite ANSA’s digital platform attracting new client relationships. We look forward to what the future holds and building on the success of both companies.”

Archer Oiltools has been awarded a two-year contract extension from Equinor Energy AS in the North Sea.

The contract covers plug and abandonment (P&A), fishing and downhole mechanical isolation equipment. Based on current activity levels, the additional backlog is estimated at US$60mn for the 24 months period which will commence in June this year.

“This is a strategically important extension for Oiltools in one of our core markets, which further strengthens our footprint and presence in the region. Our technology and strong record of execution in the North Sea makes us a supplier of choice for Equinor. We continue to support Equinor’s requirements for safe and efficient operations while providing proprietary low carbon solutions and operational efficiencies to further their energy transition goals,” said Hugo Idsøe, Vice President, Archer Oiltools.

Liebherr has announced that its Heavy Lift Crane (HLC) 295000 is on board the Orion and is ready to work on decommissioning projects.

The Orion is a next generation offshore installation vessel by DEME which is capable of installing windfarms and decommissioning ‘old’ energy platforms. On the vessel, Liebherr has delivered the HLC which is the largest crane the company has ever built, boasting a lifting capacity of 5,000 tonnes.

After its name-giving ceremony in Vlissingen, Netherlands, the vessel is now heading to help develop the offshore wind farm ‘Arcadis Ost I’ in the Baltic Sea.

“What we are witnessing here, is indeed a very memorable event. Fundamentally, it demonstrates what is achieved, when people are closely working together, especially alongside with a competent and reliable partner. Today, we are proud. In an extraordinary effort, our team at Liebherr brought this heavy lift crane up on this ship so now everyone can see what has been accomplished,” said Robert Pitschmann, Global Application Manager, Heavy Lift Offshore at Liebherr.

By the help of the compact design, the crane is destined to serve in the offshore market. For example the base column, being only 16.8 metres diameter, is unique in the market. The HLC 295000 requires little space on deck and offers more storage space for transportation. It is ready to take up its work in the ample field of the offshore industry. With its maximum capacity of 5,000 tons and an outreach of up to 151 metres, the HLC can manage large components, for example, during the decommissioning of offshore platforms.

A maximum lifting height of 175 metres enables the HLC 295000 to operate in the required height right away without special efforts. All this demonstrates that the heavy lift crane in general can be regarded as the ideal instrument for the challenges ahead within the changing field of energy production as well as in all related working areas closely related to it. The extraordinary efficiency, swift- and readiness when it comes to transporting, accuracy but also power give this Liebherr heavy lift crane and the HLC-Series an advancement due to its smart versatility.

Northumberland-based offshore technology company Osbit has announced that it is set to receive a Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

Osbit has been rewarded for its excellence in innovation – a nod to outstanding achievement and commercial success.

The prize has been given to the company for its development of offshore technology to deliver a step-change in offshore operations. Osbit’s Intervention tension Frame system were designed for industry-leading services company Helix Energy Solutions and use innovation to support energy transition activities, facilitating safer and more efficient closure of expired oil wells.

A representative from Osbit will collect the award at a reception hosted by HRH The Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace, in July.

Director Steve Binney, commented, “This win is fantastic recognition of what Osbit is capable of, in terms of developing large and complex systems, successfully delivering them, and making a real difference to our customers’ project outcomes.

“Innovation has always been at the heart of everything we do – we’re constantly trying to use our engineering skills to improve on what’s gone before, to do things better, more safely, more effectively.

“We are very proud of this win, which is testament to the genuine skill and ingenuity of our team.”

Maersk Drilling has been awarded contracts which will see the harsh environment jack-up rig Maersk Resolute, employed to plug and abandon (P&A) a total of 31 wells in the Dutch sector of the North Sea.

Maersk Resolute is a 350ft Gusto-engineered MSC CJ50 and a high-efficiency jack-up rig that was delivered in 2008, currently operating offshore the Netherlands.

The newly-awarded contracts, which are expected to commence in Q2 or Q3 of 2022, are in support of a rig sharing agreement between TotalEnergies EP Nederland BV and Petrogas E&P Netherlands BV. They are in direct continuation of the rig’s current contract, and will include the plugging and abandonment of 11 wells with TotalEnergies and 20 wells with Petrogas.

The estimated duration for the substantial campaign is 575 days, and the total firm contract value is approximately US$43mn, excluding potential performance bonuses. The contracts include options to add additional work scopes with a total estimated duration of 228 days.

COO Morten Kelstrup of Maersk Drilling, commented, “We’re pleased to secure this long-term commitment for Maersk Resolute to continue operating in the Netherlands. By deploying the rig for a combined 31-well campaign we will be able to ensure a consistent focus on efficiency improvements from well to well, while simultaneously operating with the respect for the continued sustainability of the marine environment that is a key component in successful plugging and abandonment operations.”