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- Region: Gulf of Mexico
- Date: Apr, 2022
Helix Energy Solutions Group, a leading provider of offshore energy services, has entered into a new multi-year contract with Shell Offshore to provide well intervention services in the Gulf of Mexico.
The three-year contract, commencing in March 2022, includes an anticipated 75 days utilisation per year with the option to add additional utilisation days.
Helix will provide either the Q4000 or Q5000 riser-based semi-submersible well intervention vessel, a 10k or a 15k Intervention Riser System (IRS), remotely operated vehicles, project management and engineering services to cover operations from fully integrated well intervention to fully integrated plug and abandonment well services.
The Q4000 and Q5000 well intervention vessels provide an optimal platform for a wide variety of tasks, including subsea well intervention, field and well decommissioning, installation and recovery of subsea equipment, well testing and emergency well containment.
Scotty Sparks, Helix’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, commented, “Shell continues to be a valued customer of Helix. We appreciate their continued confidence in our fully integrated well intervention services, our commitment to safety and cost-effective and efficient solutions. We are confident in the efficiencies and value we bring to our customers, and this contract further signals the increasing demand for our services.”
- Region: Australia
- Topics: Decommissioning
- Date: Apr, 2022
Petrofac, a leading provider of services to the global energy industry, has received a major decommissioning contract by the Australian Government, which has kickstarted decommissioning services in the country’s offshore oil and gas sector.
The contract, awarded by the Federal Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, follows a strict selection and due diligence process by the Government of Australia. The value to Petrofac of Phase 1 has the potential to be up to AUD$325mn (US$236mn).
Petrofac’s Australia team based in Perth, has been contracted to complete Phase 1 of the decommissioning of the Northern Endeavour FPSO (Floating Production, Storage and Offtake) facility.
The contract sees Petrofac as Outsourced Operator responsible for decommissioning and disconnection of the FPSO from its subsea equipment, and temporarily suspending the wells. Disconnection of the FPSO is likely to occur over the period of 18 months. Petrofac’s scope includes the provision of its unique integrated services, working with both local and global suppliers.
The Northern Endeavour is a 274-metre long FPSO facility, currently not producing oil, moored between the Laminaria and Corallina oil fields about 550 kilometres northwest of Darwin in the Timor Sea.
Speaking about the company’s long-term ambitions in the country, Josie Philips, Petrofac’s Regional Director, Australia, said, "This contract builds on 15 years of working in Australia and is further proof of our growing ambitions. A critical element will be upskilling the local workforce to meet the challenges of billions of dollars of decommissioning work in Australia now and in the future. It is Petrofac’s aim to be a local company, growing local jobs, local skills and the local supply chain. I’m delighted that we have Monadelphous and Linch-pin already on board."
Nick Shorten, Chief Operating Officer for Petrofac’s Asset Solutions business, said, “This contract recognises our unmatched decommissioning credentials, as the only tier one contractor with the in-house capability to manage all well and asset decommissioning phases. The contract builds on our existing track record for delivering well operator and project management services for clients globally.”
Together Petrofac and its supply chain partners, including Monadelphous and Linch-pin, will ensure the safe and cost-effective removal of the FPSO from the field in accordance with good industry practice. All activities will be done in close consultation with the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) to ensure strict safety and environmental protections.
D&A Aus 2022
From 10-11 May, the first ever Decommissioning and Abandonment conference will be arriving in Perth, Australia to provide the offshore community with the best blueprint for the wave of decommissioning projects on the horizon. For more information, download the brochure here: https://offsnet.com/da-aus/conference-brochure
Or contact:
Erin Smith
Global Accounts & Australasia Regional Manager
Offshore Network
t: +64 289 900 118
e:
- Region: All
- Date: Mar, 2022
ROCSOLE has received an Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) 'Spotlight on New Technology award' for its Intelligent Level Detection & Data Analytics for Sand Management.
In oil and gas facilities, sand production is an unwanted element. Robust and reliable sensors are critical for automated sand management systems to secure the proper functionality and avoid unexpected shutdowns or reduced production rate.
ROCSOLE utilises leading-edge tomographic technology, its Separator Profiler is a real-time non-radioactive monitoring solution that physically sees and measures separator's emulsion layer, improving separation efficiency by optimising residence time and resulting in higher quality output downstream.
“We are honored by this recognition. Innovation is not just a one-day job; this shows that the community appreciates the continuity of our innovative work shaping the future of energy and process control,” said Mika Tienhaara, Chief Executive Officer of ROCSOLE.
This is ROCSOLE’s third OTC Houston Spotlight award with the company first being recognised in 2020 for its Liquid In-Tank Inspection (LITI) product. This was swiftly followed, in 2021, with the prestigious award being bestowed on the company yet again, this time for its Deposition In-Line Inspection (DILI) system. It is the first Finnish company that has ever won the award
“Being rewarded the Spotlight on New Technology award three times in a row is a huge recognition for our technology. Being able to detect waste streams, deposits and solids build-up in real-time is providing considerable benefits for our customers to improve their efficiencies and ESG measures,” said Arto Voutilainen, Chief Technology Officer of ROCSOLE.
- Region: Gulf of Mexico
- Topics: Decommissioning
- Date: Mar, 2022
PanGeo Subsea, a subsidiary of Kraken Robotics, has been awarded a US$5mn contract by Couvillion Group for assistance with a decommissioning project in the Gulf of Mexico.
In 2004, a storm induced mudslide caused an offshore jacket to topple which has since been lying on the seafloor 150 metres down, with subsea conductors buried in around 60 metres of mud. PanGeo will use Acoustic Corer, its high-resolution sub-seabed imaging technology, to identify where the conductors are located in the debris field to provide valuable information for the plugging and abandonment of the well.
The campaign will start in Q2 2022 and will last for 90 days – representing the largest Acoustic Corer project undertaken by the company to date.
Moya Cahill, PanGeo’s CEO, said, “The Acoustic Corer delivers a unique solution to the industry that has been tried and proven by the Couvillion Group in a demonstration project in 2019. We are truly excited to return to this site and work with the Couvillion team to complete a full site investigation of the debris field.
Couvillion Group’s CEO, Timmy Couvillion, added, “We believe that PanGeo has the key to unlock the unknowns below the seafloor that will ultimately enable a successful plug and abandonment of the well.”
In addition to the debris survey, PanGeo has been issued a letter of intent for a multi-million Acoustic Corer campaign of 50 days for an offshore wind farm in the Baltic where it will be imaging boulders in the sub-seabed.
- Region: All
- Date: Mar, 2022
Expro, an energy services provider headquartered in Houston, TX USA, was recognised with ‘Spotlight on New Technology Award’ at the 2022 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston for its Autonomous Well Intervention System - Galea.
This award highlights the latest and most innovative global technologies that are advancing and revolutionising the future of the energy industry. Galea was selected based on its autonomous technology and significant environmental, cost, and HSE impact beyond existing technologies.
According to Expro, Galea is the world’s first fully autonomous well intervention system that maximises production while reducing intervention costs, HSE risks, and the carbon footprint of operations. The system replaces larger, conventional, and more labour-intensive wireline rig-ups for a range of routine slickline operations. Galea can be configured in a variety of operating modes ranging from fully autonomous to manual to suit a range of applications on and offshore.
Galea deploys a tool string into the well either at regular intervals or as defined by the well conditions in fully autonomous mode. The system performs a pre-programmed intervention sequence in semi-autonomous mode, initiated locally or remotely. When in manual mode, quick rig-up intervention compared to conventional operations is enabled.
The system also reduces the impact of operations on the environment around the well site. A small self-contained intervention package located at the well site all year-round eliminates the need for repetitive environmentally disruptive wireline unit or truck operations required for traditional approaches.
Galea also features several fail-safe capabilities to ensure containment and elimination of potential wire breaks during interventions.
Expro’s Well Intervention and Integrity Vice President Max Tseplic said, “This prestigious award from our industry recognises not only one technology, but also Expro’s wider commitment to delivering cost-effective, innovative technologies and solutions, and what we consider to be best-in-class safety and service quality performance, as part of creating a more sustainable business and a lower carbon future.”
Expro North and Latin America Region Vice-President Toby Pitre added, “Enhancing our technology development remains a key focus for Expro. With a wide breadth of capabilities and expertise across the entire well lifecycle, we are fully focused on meeting changing industry demands.”
- Region: Australia
- Topics: Decommissioning
- Date: Mar, 2022
Xodus, a global energy consultancy, has been awarded the Rigid Pipeline Non-Metallic Component Characterisation study for National Energy Resources Australia's (NERA) National Decommissioning Research Initiative (NDRI).
Alasdair Gray, Late Life and Decommissioning Lead at Xodus, made the announcement on LinkedIn, commenting, “Understanding of the chemicals used within non-steel components of rigid pipelines is one of the most significant knowledge gaps for the Australian oil and gas industry. This information is critical to understanding the long term impact of structure degradation within the marine environment, to improve the accuracy of decommissioning plan development and subsequent Environment Plan submissions.
“Xodus are well placed to undertake this work through our world class, integrated Engineering and Environment offering, working with Andrew Taylor and Jason Christie to deliver this scope which focuses on pipeline coating characterisation. This study is an important step in addressing how the region will make future decisions about assets reaching end of life.”
Gray added that the company has already started work on the project which is expected to be completed mid-2022.
D&A Aus 2022
From 10-11 May, the first ever Decommissioning and Abandonment conference will be arriving in Perth, Australia to provide the offshore community with the best blueprint for the wave of decommissioning projects on the horizon. For more information, download the brochure here: https://offsnet.com/da-aus/conference-brochure
Or contact:
Erin Smith
Global Accounts & Australasia Regional Manager
Offshore Network
t: +64 289 900 118
e:
- Region: Australia
- Topics: Decommissioning
- Date: Mar, 2022
Woodside Energy Limited has awarded DOF Subsea Australia retrieval of Enfield XT and offshore support services.
The campaign will involve the recovery of 18 subsea XTrees, 18 flowbases and associated spool sections, one wellhead severance and recovery of up to 18 temporary guide bases at the Enfield Field, Australia. The contract includes project management, engineering, fabrication, and decommissioning services and is expected to be undertaken in Q3 and Q4 2022, using DOF Subsea’s MPSV Skandi Hercules.
Mons Aase, CEO of DOF Subsea AS, said this is a substantial contract award. "It builds on successful campaigns delivered in the past for our client and grows our decommissioning track-record in the APAC (Asia-Pacific) region. We look forward to working with Woodside Energy Limited to deliver a safe and efficient project."
D&A Aus 2022
From 10-11 May, the first ever Decommissioning and Abandonment conference will be arriving in Perth, Australia to provide the offshore community with the best blueprint for the wave of decommissioning projects on the horizon. For more information, download the brochure here: https://offsnet.com/da-aus/conference-brochure
Or contact:
Erin Smith
Global Accounts & Australasia Regional Manager
Offshore Network
t: +64 289 900 118
e:
- Region: New Zealand
- Topics: Decommissioning
- Date: Mar, 2022
Shelf Subsea have announced that the Southern Star, DPIII Saturation Diving Vessel, has arrived in New Zealand waters to commence work on phase 2 of the Tui decommissioning project.
The New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) awarded the contract to Shelf Subsea for the removal of the subsea infrastructure from the Tui Oil Field (phase 2 of the decommissioning process). This is the next step in the decommissioning of the field after the disconnection and demobilisation of the FPSO Umuroa was completed in May 2021.
The Southern Star, a 112m vessel with a 150t AHC crane, 1000m of back deck and installed WROVs. It arrived in New Zealand after encountering some poor weather, which was easily overcome.
Shelf Subsea noted that it is the most advanced DSV operating in the Asia Pacific region and comes with Port and Starboard SPHLs for greater driver safety and more efficient operations in blow-on, blow-off scenarios. As demonstrated on the journey over, the vessel handles exceptionally well in challenging weather conditions providing a stable platform for subsea intervention work.
- Region: Asia Pacific
- Topics: Integrity
- Date: Mar, 2022
MR Deepwater Subsea LLC, part of the MR Group of companies, and Offshore Technical Compliance (OTC) LLC, have announced a formal collaboration between both companies to create a one-stop-shop for real time monitoring, digital pressure testing and BOP compliance services.
Through the global office network of the MR Group, OTC services are now available worldwide. The MR Group forms an independent centre of excellence, focused on improving the integrity of drilling rigs and helping clients enhance value of their wells across the well lifecycle. OTC is an industry leader in predictive digital pressure testing.
Mike Fry, Director of MR Deepwater Subsea, explained, “The collaboration with OTC is important for our clients. OTC is the ideal partner to offer our clients an integrated package of real time monitoring, digital pressure testing and BOP compliance services – all under one contract.”
OTC has developed their unique Greenlight digital pressure testing tool, which does not require benchmark testing to get a reliable test outcome but uses algorithms for predictions, which is BSEE-approved. The software and related equipment can be used for any type of pressure testing including surface and subsea well control equipment, inflow testing, casing tests, control lines, MPD equipment, and risers. Maintaining a very small footprint and with the ability to be operated remotely, the system can also capture multiple tests simultaneously.
The collaboration will help in building knowledge regarding inspection and testing data, equipment failure and wear & tear patterns which are unmatched in the industry. The worldwide office and resource network of the MR Group means OTC services are now truly available worldwide using a global pool of experts.
“The collaboration creates efficiencies for our clients, not only through a one-stop-shop but also in personnel on board,” OTC CEO Michael Bethea noted. “It also adds further digital technology development resources to the MR Group portfolio. We are excited about the future and our ability to add value to our clients.”
- Region: North Sea
- Topics: Decommissioning
- Date: Mar, 2022
Following the award of another major North Sea contract to Veolia and Peterson, Lerwick Harbour will be the location for the dismantling and recycling of a northern North Sea platform jacket.
This follows the winning of the contract to decommission the 14,500 tonne topside for the same platform, which will be the biggest to date at the port’s Dales Voe Base. This was recently completed on time with Veolia and Peterson achieving their target of more than 98% of materials recycled.
The latest project has been awarded by Allseas and is for the 83-metre steel jacket which weighs in at around 8,500 tonnes. This will also be delivered by Allseas Pioneering Spirit.
Preparations are now underway for the reception of the jacket. Similar to the topside, it will be removed in a single lift before being transferred ashore at the base via a barge. A heavy-duty purpose-built decommissioning pad will be used.
John Abraham, COO of Veolia UK & Ireland – Industrial, Water & Energy, commented, “Industry leading recycling involves innovation and scrupulous planning. With our major complex decommissioning projects, we have already shown that it is possible to achieve a 98% recycling rate for obsolete oil and gas structures, a key achievement as we look to preserve resources and drive our ecological transformation. Decommissioning is also very important from a carbon perspective as recycling a tonne of steel saves 1.5 tonnes of iron ore and reduces CO2 emissions by 80%, compared to metal production from raw materials."
James Johnson, Decommissioning Manager at Peterson, remarked, “We believe this award demonstrates the strong track record of Peterson and Veolia in handling all types of offshore decommissioning projects, as well as the excellent capability of the Dales Voe Base. It is also recognition of the excellent work undertaken in the decommissioning of the Ninian Northern topside, where an industry first approach to decommissioning an offshore asset proved very successful. We are very pleased that the award will also help secure a number of Peterson roles on Shetland on an ongoing basis.”
The jacket is expected to arrive in April 2022 with decommissioning taking around eight months to complete from this point.
- Region: All
- Date: Mar, 2022
Baker Hughes has announced that it will be acquiring Altus Intervention, a leading international provider of well intervention services and down-hole oil and gas technology, to complement its existing portfolio of oilfield technologies and integrated solutions.
Altus Intervention employs around 1200 people globally and operates across four regions: UK and West Africa; Norway and Denmark; Americas; and Middle East and Asia Pacific.
“The addition of Altus Intervention supports our strategy to transform core oil & gas operations by enhancing technological capabilities and providing customers with higher-efficiency solutions,” commented Maria Claudia Borras, Executive Vice President of Oilfield Services at Baker Hughes. “We value the Altus Intervention team’s deep expertise and look forward to bringing these fully integrated well intervention solutions to our global customer base.”
Åge Landro, CEO of Altus Intervention, added, “Our technology and techniques play a critical role in improving production, well intervention and plug and abandonment, and we believe this agreement with Baker Hughes is the right step forward.
“We are focused on a long-standing vision of making intervention smarter to deliver real change operationally and commercially, and we look forward to leveraging Baker Hughes’ strong network, complementary technology and global infrastructure in the oil and gas industry.”
The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2022. The acquisition agreement includes all intellectual property, personnel and commercial agreements.
- Region: All
- Topics: Decommissioning
- Date: Mar, 2022
Claxton, the lead brand of Acteon’s drilling and decommissioning segment, is set to acquire decommissioning personnel and assets from Oceaneering.
The agreement was signed recently with the anticipated closure date of 30 March, 2022. Certain staff in Norway will transfer to Claxton, along with decommissioning assets, including well and pile abrasive cutting and recovery systems and associated tooling. Also included in the deal are conductor drilling, pinning and cutting systems, diamond wires saws, dredges and various ancillary equipment items. This equipment will initially be deployed from Acteon’s bases in Norway, Dubai and Aberdeen.
In addition, Oceaneering is establishing a master services agreement where Claxton will provide services to support the company’s wider scopes. This could potentially include its multi-client Rig Chase decommissioning campaigns.
Sam Hanton, Acteon Drilling and Decommissioning Segment Managing Director, commented, “The deal will increase our capacity, the range of technologies at our disposal and our decommissioning expertise, and reinforce Claxton’s position as one of the leading global suppliers of offshore cutting services.”
Luke Pirie, Director of Offshore Projects Group, Oceaneering, added that the deal allows the company to strategically focus on its integrated solutions offering while ensuring access to decommissioning services through a partnership and the new master services agreement with Claxton.
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