Offshore staff
WESTHILL, Aberdeenshire, UK – Mermaid Subsea Services (UK) has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with EnergyPathways and MCS Group, through its UK subsidiary MCS Subsea Solutions, to advance the development of the Marram field in the East Irish Sea.
Under the terms of the MoU, Mermaid and MCS Group have agreed to jointly undertake FEED, project support, procurement and offshore construction services to EnergyPathways, the owner and operator of the project.
As part of the work scope, EnergyPathways has already contracted with MCS and Mermaid in respect of initial work orders, the results of which will allow the company to define the scope of the final contract in due course.
Marram is said to be the first UKCS development on which MCS and Mermaid will collaborate from FEED to commissioning, and the companies say that they will deploy technology designed to reduce development costs and delivery cycles.
MCS and Mermaid specifically plan to access fit-for-purpose vessel solutions and use NOV Tuboscope Zap-Lok, a mechanical interference fit connection system for the submarine pipeline. The companies say that more than 7,500 km of this system has been installed globally since the 1990s, and note that it has been shown to save up to 40% in installation costs in shallow water relative to other approaches.
The Marram development plan will also facilitate the use of diverless connection systems for shallow water, thus reducing the risks associated with the use of divers for the pipeline tie-in operations.
EnergyPathways is the operator of Marram, which is described as a “short-cycle, low-emission gas field,” and the company is progressing the project towards a final investment decision. The project concept envisages what is described as “a simple low-cost two well subsea tieback development” with first production targeted for 2025.
02.21.2024
