NorSea Group won northeast Scotland’s first major “small piece” decommissioning contract. Work has already begun on the six-month project which is being carried out at NorSea Group’s Peterhead facility on behalf of Endeavour Energy and involves safe disposal of subsea manifolds and associated pipework from the Renee and Rubie fields.
All materials from the fields, which lie 200km northeast of Aberdeen, are being delivered to Smith Quay which is operated by NorSea Group. An important element of the US$775,000 (£0.5 million) contract was the requirement that reuse of returned material be maximized and NorSea Group will achieve a 100% recycling rate.
The returned material includes 1000-tonne of concrete mattresses which will be used as hard core and in road construction projects; 200-tonne of pipework and skid units which will be recycled as scrap metal; manifold valves which will be refurbished and reused and a 17-tonne crossover manifold which will be transported to the Underwater Centre at Fort William where it will be used for diver training.
The work will initially create up to six new jobs.
“We are primarily known as a logistics and base services company servicing the offshore industry but as part of our future growth strategy we are developing our decommissioning capability,” said Walter Robertson, managing director of NorSea Group (UK). “In addition to Peterhead we have facilities at South Quay, Montrose capable of carrying out similar types of small piece decommissioning work, so we see great potential for servicing additional contracts there.”
Mike Munro, operations director for NorSea Group (UK), is overseeing the work.
“With 200m of quayside and a draft of 10m, Smith Quay is ideal for the landing of small piece decommissioning works and can handle structures up to 4000-tonne in weight,” said Munro. “A laydown area in excess of 15,000sq m and our on-site crane with a 200-tonne capacity makes us self-sufficient in the landing of most materials and larger capacity cranes are available at short notice.
Munro further added that NorSea Group tests all decommissioning materials to detect the presence of NORM (Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material).
“If it is present, we work with Scotoil Services, our specialist partnership company, to carry out decontamination at our on-site SEPA-approved licensed premises,” said Munro.
NorSea Group took on the operatorship of Smith Quay and Embankment at Peterhead on a 10-year agreement at 3Q 2014. This is phase 1 of a 3 phase development that will see expansion onto Merchants Quay and provide 400m of deepwater quayside berthing supported by over 50,000sq m of quayside laydown area. NorSea also has a long term agreement with Scrabster Harbour Trust and a 15-year lease at South Quay in Montrose.
Image: Guy Cook and Hywel Evans of Endeavour Energy with Mike Munro at Smith Quay, Peterhead/NorSea Group
Subscribe
