Heerema-AF consortium plans to use hybrid removal technique for North Sea Murchison platform
Offshore staff
LEIDEN, the Netherlands – Heerema Marine Contractors has issued more details of its plans to remove CNR International’s Murchison oil field platform in the UK northern North Sea.
In association with AF Decom Offshore UK, the company is responsible for engineering, preparation, removal, and disposal of the topsides and jacket structure, with a total weight of around 37,000 metric tons (40,785 tons).
Engineering is expected to start this year, with offshore operations beginning in early 2016 and removal and final disposal work continuing until 2020.
The Heerema-AF consortium has developed a hybrid removal methodology that comprises piece-small removal and heavy-lift reverse installation. As a result,Murchison will now remain manned for a further year to support the consortium’s offshore deconstruction and removal activities, along with associated services such as accommodation, logistics, operations, and maintenance.
The planned hybrid removal method is said to allow efficient disposal and recycling of the platform, combining short sailing times for the piece-small tonnage (roughly 10,000 metric tons/11,023 tons) to a UK disposal yard and direct offloading for the remainder from Heerema’s heavy-lift vessel at the AF Environmental Base in Vats, Norway.
10/20/2014
