A year of significant construction work on the Cygnus gas project by Burntisland Fabrication (BiFab) came to fruition recently as major infrastructure sailed out from the yard in Methil, Fife.
Operator GDF SUEZ E&P UK Ltd (38.75%) and partners Centrica Energy (48.75%) and Bayerngas (12.5%) were on site to witness the Alpha wellhead jacket begin its 380km journey to site.
It is the first of four jackets for Cygnus, the largest gas discovery in the Southern North Sea in the last 25 years. First gas is targeted for late 2015, and by 2016 the field will be the second largest individual gas producer in the UK.
The project has created 100 new jobs at BiFab’s facility in Methil and 15 apprentice positions between the company’s Methil and Burntisland sites.
The jacket weighs 1146-tonne and is 39.7m high. It has taken about one year to build from the first steel cutting ceremony held in May 2013.
After project sanction in August 2012, GDF SUEZ E&P UK placed a contract with BiFab for the design and fabrication of the jackets, which weigh approximately 8000-tonne in total. Two of the remaining three jackets are due to be delivered in the summer of 2014, with the final one to be completed by April 2015.
BiFab was also later awarded the contract for the construction of the Quarters & Utilities (QU) platform, in a signing ceremony witnessed by Ed Davey MP, Secretary of State.
Jean-Claude Perdigues, Managing Director of GDF SUEZ E&P UK, said: “Our partnership with BiFab has resulted in the successful delivery of the first wellhead jacket as a key component of the first Cygnus sailaway and installation campaign. Offshore deployment is now well underway, with other subsea and topside infrastructure already en route to site, 150 kilometres off the coast of Lincolnshire.”
Phil Nunn, Manager of Non-Operated Offshore Developments at Centrica Energy, said: “This significant investment by Centrica Energy and its partners has created jobs and apprenticeships in the local area, as well as securing gas supply for the whole country. We are delighted that the first jacket is now sailing out to the Cygnus field after being built safely and on time.”
Bayerngas UK’s Managing Director, Gerry Harrison, said: “This is another important step in our 2014 installation campaign. Congratulations to BiFab and their workforce for keeping the project on schedule.”
John Robertson, Managing Director, BiFab commented: “We are delighted that the first of the jackets is ready for delivery . This is an exciting project for BiFab and we are very proud to be a key member of the Cygnus project delivery team.”
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