Repsol Sinopec contracts Well-Safe Solutions for decommissioning in Buchan and Hannay fields

Well-Safe Solutions will utilise its purpose-built decommissioning unit specifically designed for decommissioning of subsea wells, the Well-Safe Guardian. It will be the first time it has deployed its Dive System and Subsea Modular Decommissioning Riser Technology (SMART) system onboard the semi-submersible unit. The offshore well decommissioning activities are planned to commence in 2022.

Decommissioning in the Buchan and Hannay fields commenced in 2017 with the off-station and onshore recycling of the Buchan Alpha platform, which was completed at Dales Voe in Lerwick Shetland, after ceasing production as planned in 2017 – after 36 years and almost 150 million barrels of oil produced. The decommissioning and recycling of the Buchan and Hannay Subsea Infrastructure commenced with pre-works in 2019 with final completion of this scope currently ongoing and expected to finish by 4Q21.

The contract is the first fully-inclusive well decommissioning contract of its kind and enables Repsol Sinopec and Well-Safe Solutions to manage efficiencies, knowledge and cost. The schedule control provided as part of this contract enables Well-Safe to deliver its Plug & Abandon (P&A) Club approach, helping to deliver a campaign-based approach aligned with the OGA Decommissioning Strategy.

The contract has been welcomed by OGUK and The Oil & Gas Authority as a strong example of collaboration, campaigning and innovation.

José Luis Muñoz, Repsol Sinopec’s CEO, commented: “There are 14 subsea wells in the Buchan and Hannay fields that require decommissioning as part of planned activities. We are pleased to appoint the contract for this work to Well-Safe Solutions, who will take a campaign approach to the work, recognising that schedule flexibility is key to driving efficiency. Collaboration has been key to achieving a solution that enables innovation and maximises efficient use of resources, whilst minimising the carbon footprint of the project. We are pleased the contract has been awarded to an Aberdeen-based company – the agreement will exceed the UK local content target as set in the North Sea Transition deal, of over 50% for decommissioning projects.”

Phil Milton, CEO at Well-Safe Solutions, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for Well-Safe Solutions. Our team has worked closely with the team at Repsol Sinopec to develop a contracting delivery model that enables this project to be delivered in a manner that aligns with Repsol Sinopec’s decommissioning strategy, OGA’s decommissioning strategy and Well-Safe’s P&A Club approach. With complete schedule control this enables us to optimise our efficiencies, retain learnings and deliver a multi-operator, multi-well campaign.”

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Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/offshore-and-subsea/17092021/repsol-sinopec-contracts-well-safe-solutions-for-decommissioning-in-buchan-and-hannay-fields/