By Kristy Dorsey
More than 36,000 tonnes of steel have been removed from the topside of a venerable North Sea oil platform in what is said to be one of the biggest projects of its kind attempted in the area.
Abu Dhabi-owned energy giant TAQA said the material removed from the Brae Bravo platform located approximately 170 miles north-east of Aberdeen will be recycled over the coming 18 months, bringing the second stage of the decommissioning project to a close. Navigational aids have been used to create a 500-metre safety zone around the remining structure – the only visible element of which is the top of the jacket – which will remain in place until it is decommissioned next year.
Described as a North Sea “icon”, Brae Bravo produced more than 500 million barrels of oil equivalent over its 33-year lifetime. At the peak of deconstruction, up to 500 people were working on the project, which required the use of two of the world’s largest semi-submersible crane vessels.
Donald Taylor, TAQA’s managing director for Europe, said the Brae Bravo decommissioning was a “landmark moment” for his company and the North Sea industry.
“The scale of this engineering feat cannot be overstated,” he said. “Despite the challenges faced by the on and offshore team of the Covid-19 pandemic, this was completed on schedule and without any major incidents recorded, highlighting our commitment to health and safety.
READ MORE: Work starts on removal of landmark oil platform off Aberdeen
“Decommissioning and late-life management of offshore assets will play a major role in our journey to a lower carbon future, and Brae Bravo will be the blueprint for all future TAQA decommissioning programmes in the North Sea.”
The consortium for the removal of the platform also includes HAF, the Heerema Marine Contractor and AF Offshore Decom (AFOD). The steel is being sent to AFOD’s environmental base in Vats, Norway, where the goal is to reuse or recycle 95 per cent of the material.
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