Offshore staff
ABERDEEN, UK --Acorn North Sea has completed abandonment of the Ardmore field. The program involved the removal of three wellheads and a seabed well template, which could have endangered trawlers in the area if left in situ.
Acorn was obliged to complete this work after Ardmore's operator Tuscan Energy (Scotland) was placed into administration in June 2005. Tuscan had re-developed the field, previously known as Argyll, via the production jack-upRowan Gorilla VII, the oil being offloaded to shuttle tankers.
The platform and export facilities were removed in July 2005, with the UK government agreeing a program for the subsea equipment later that year. Tuscan's defaulting under the terms of the operating agreement left Acorn to cover the entire abandonment cost. However, Acorn is seeking reimbursement from the Tuscan administrator.
11/29/2007
