Heerema Marine Contractors announced this week that Equinor has chosen them for the removal, dismantling, and recycling of three offshore installations from the Heimdal and Veslefrikk fields.
The work scope includes the Engineering, Preparation, Removal, and Disposal (EPRD) of both the main platform and riser platform from the Heimdal field and the wellhead platform Veslefrikk A, including a subsea pre-drill template. Early engineering will begin directly for the Heimdal platforms and earliest start of offshore executions can be in 2024. The infrastructures to be removed weigh approximately 68,000 metric tons in total.
Heimdal is a gas field in the Northern part of the North Sea, which has produced gas and condensate since 1985. The operator Equinor plans to decommission the field, including removing, dismantling, and recycling the main platform topsides and jacket. The scope also includes the bridge, topsides and jacket of the Heimdal riser platform for which Equinor is the technical service provider on behalf of the operator Gassco. Assignment of the Heimdal riser platform scope is however subject to Heerema being awarded the riser platform contract after expiry of a mandatory standstill period required prior to contract award.
Veslefrikk is an Equinor operated oil field, also located in the Northern part of the North Sea. The field has been in production since 1989, and the wellhead platform Veslefrikk A will now be removed and recycled. The Heimdal and Veslefrikk platforms will be removed by Heerema Marine Contractors and transported to Aker Solutions’ decommissioning facilities at Eldøyane in Stord, Norway. After dismantling at the decommissioning yard, approximately 98 percent of the material will be recycled primarily into steel.
Heerema’s Decommissioning Director, Jeroen van Oosten, notes that “Heerema has the experience and passion for executing large decommissioning projects such as the Heimdal and Veslefrikk removal campaigns. Our team is looking forward to working together with Equinor on the preparation and execution of this work. Safely and sustainably removing offshore structures is core business for us, and we are proud to be the contractor of choice for the removal of the Heimdal and Veslefrikk infrastructure.“
In 2020, Heerema removed 85,277 metric tonnes of offshore infrastructure across the North Sea and in Canada. Including projects such as the record-breaking Shell Brent Alpha jacket removal and removing the Sable Project Offshore Facilities for ExxonMobil.
