DeepOcean removes subsea infrastructure from two Spirit Energy North Sea fields
Why this news matters
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The project highlights continued progress in North Sea decommissioning activity, with operators moving forward on the safe removal of aging subsea infrastructure ahead of rig-based abandonment campaigns.
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DeepOcean’s use of tooling and methodologies developed on previous removal projects illustrates how contractors are applying lessons learned to improve efficiency, reduce risk and support more sustainable offshore decommissioning programs.
DeepOcean has removed a subsea wellhead protection structure from Spirit Energy’s Seven Seas Field in the UK southern North Sea.
Seven Seas and Grove West are mature North Sea gas fields that are undergoing decommissioning following the end of production.
The construction vessel retrieved the item, which weighed more than 100 mt, about 80 km offshore the East Yorkshire coast in 33 m of water.
Robin Mawhinney, EVP for DeepOcean’s EMEA region, said the wellhead protection structure, which had been in use at the field since 2011, was in good condition.
Nearby, DeepOcean also disconnected a subsea spool connecting to a subsea tree at Spirit’s Grove West Field, 130 km offshore and in 40 m of water, using an ROV.
“We disconnected two subsea flanges using methodologies and proprietary tooling developed during the Gryphon Alpha FPSO removal project last year,” said DeepOcean CEO Øyvind Mikaelsen.
All recovered materials have since been taken to shore for reuse, recycling or disposal. Spirit managed the program from its Aberdeen base. The approach aligns with industry efforts to maximize material recovery and reduce waste from offshore decommissioning projects.
The work formed part of Spirit’s wider decommissioning campaign for the two fields, and preceded a forthcoming rig campaign.
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About the Author
Jeremy Beckman
Editor, Europe
Jeremy Beckman has been Editor Europe, Offshore since 1992. Prior to joining Offshore he was a freelance journalist for eight years, working for a variety of electronics, computing and scientific journals in the UK. He regularly writes news columns on trends and events both in the NW Europe offshore region and globally. He also writes features on developments and technology in exploration and production.