Dutch contractor Allseas have signed a contract with Norway's Statoil for the installation of three platforms on the giant Johan Sverdrup development in single lifts using the newly renamed mega-vessel Pioneering Spirit.

The vessel, which is berthed in Rotterdam port for the installation of the eight twin sets of lifting beams, which will be used to lift the topsides, already has contacts with Shell, ExxonMobil and Talisman for single lift and decommissioning jobs, all secured ahead of its final completion.

Allseas has also named its second mega-lift vessel, which will dwarf the already huge Pioneering Spirit. It will be called Amazing Grace and will be able to lift 72,000-tonne topsides, compared the Pioneering Spirit's 48,000-tonne capacity.

The contract with Statoil will see the vessel lift three Johan Sverdrup platforms into place in 2018/19, said Allseas founder Edward Heerema.

Johan Sverdrup, sited on the Utsira High in the North Sea, 155km west of Stavanger, is one of the five biggest oil fields on the Norwegian continental shelf. It holds expected resources of between 1.8–2.9 billion boe. The field is about 1900m deep, in 110-120m water depth, and covers about 200sq km.

The full field development cost is estimated at US$22.4-28.9 billion, unlocking up to 3 billion boe. Phase one recoverable resources are projected at 1.4-2.4 billion boe.

Statoil and partners submitted a US$15.4 billion development plan for phase one on 13 February. The plan calls for four bridge-linked platforms, with power from shore, and three subsea water injection templates. The plan, submitted to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, is expected to receive approval this spring. First oil is anticipated by the end of 2019.

The Pioneering Spirit, measuring 382m-long, 124m-wide, has been 25 years in the planning. The vessel was designed to make a significant impact on the heavy lift capability currently available in the global offshore market, both for platform installation and decommissioning; and pipelay with its 2000-tonne (2205 short tons) tension capacity S-Lay pipelay package. Its lift capability is 48,000-tonne (53,000 short tons) for topsides and 25,000-tonne (27,500 short tons) for jackets.

The first job for the Pioneering Spririt, previously named Pieter Schelte after Edward Heerema's father, will be lifting off Talisman's doomed Yme topsides in the Norwegian North Sea.

Before that, the vessel will perform test lifts in the southern North Sea, using a specially fabricated test platform, based on the module support platform of the former North West Hutton platform.

After Yme, Pioneering Spirit will start a project with Shell, removing the Brent platforms. The first will be Brent Delta in May next year. The vessel had been due to work on the South Stream project, but the project has been deferred.

Amazing Grace, expected to cost more than €3 billion, is due to be delivered in 2021, but Allseas has yet to chose a fabrication yard, said Heerema.

Source: www.oedigital.com

Please leave comments and feedback below