Offshore vessel arrives at Scottish port for decommissioning
A new Shetland decommissioning facility has received what is believed to be first major North Sea floating production vessel to be disposed of in Scotland.
Decommissioning of the 12,000 tonne Buchan Alpha oil production vessel the facility is being managed by Veolia and Peterson at the Dales Voe site owned by Lerwick Port Authority.Sandra Laurenson, Chief Executive of Lerwick Port Authority, added:
“The arrival of Buchan Alpha is another significant milestone following more than a decade of decommissioning at Lerwick where Buchan is the largest project yet,” said Sandra Laurenson, Chief Executive of Lerwick Port Authority.
“Recent investment, extending the Dales Voe quay and laydown, and progressing plans for an ultra-deep-water quay as the UK solution to future requirements reflect our commitment to capability and competitiveness as a leader in the emerging decommissioning market.”
Buchan Alpha is a semi-submersible moored floating production vessel, built in 1973 as a drilling rig and converted for production purposes in Stornoway between 1978 and 1980.
It commenced production in 1981 from the Buchan field. Production ceased, as planned, on 12 May 2017 having produced around 148mm barrels of oil.
The contract for disposal was internationally tendered and awarded to Veolia working with its strategic partner in decommissioning, Peterson.
Buchan Alpha will initially be moored offshore Lerwick in deeper water where the thrusters will be removed to reduce the draught, allowing it to be moved to the quayside within the next few weeks.
Veolia will then begin the dismantling of the steel structure to maximise the recycling rate with the aim of achieving 98% recycling rates.
Related Articles
ALTERNATIVE FUELS GREENPORT