Two substantial platforms in the Gulf of America were subjected to comprehensive full-cycle offshore decommissioning campaigns by MC Offshore Petroleum, which also advanced environmental stewardship.
A multi-asset operation, the campaign involved the retirement of the Jolliet Tension Leg Well Platform (TLWP) in Green Canyon Block 184 and the fixed production infrastructure at Marquette comprising a production platform, GC52A, and a processing platform, GC52CPP, in Green Canyon Block 52. These will be further converted into an artificial reef in Green Canyon Block 52.
When installed as the first TLWP in the Gulf of America, Jolliet came to be known as the world's deepest floating production unit at the time of installation. The current campaign honours the platform's legacy while establishing a model for the next generation of offshore decommissioning excellence.
Right from the planning stage in 2022, MCOP has followed a strategy to execute the removals ahead of the peak months of hurricane season. The final decision to begin decommissioning operation was made in the first quarter of 2024. Decommissioning operations, along with the plug and abandonment of all wells on GC 52-A (Marquette) and GC 184 (Jolliet), were set to begin with an execution team in place by the second quarter of 2024.
With the well P&A work underway, pipeline abandonment operations begun as three pipelines were flushed and abandoned. The project team also abandoned another 24-mile pipeline belonging to a midstream operator that originated at GC52.
The decommissioning of the Jolliet TLWP and removal of GC52A and GCS2CPP was made possible with high-level engineering work. Disconnecting the TLWP tendons from the template, ballasting the JOLLIET TLWP during tendon removals and towing the platform to Port Aransas were backed by extensive planning.
