Fossil energy – decommissioning
Heerema and AF Offshore Decom have commenced one of the largest topside removal projects of its kind in the North Sea on behalf of TAQA.
The Brae Bravo removal campaign is the first major asset removal project for TAQA, and as a late-life asset operator in the UK, safety and environmental impact principles are at the centre of the project for TAQA and its partners.
The Brae Bravo platform, first commissioned in 1988, is being removed over three separate phases in 2021 and 2022, using Thialf and Sleipnir, two of the world’s largest Semi-Submersible Crane Vessels (SSCVs); each greater than 200 meters in length.
After removal the topside and jacket will be transported to the AF Environmental Base in Vats, Norway for further decommissioning, recycling and reuse; aiming for a 95% recycling or reuse target.
The first campaign, which began in April, saw the two SSCVs simultaneously in the field, working in unison for several days to prepare and ultimately remove the flare tower, bridge, and jacket. Thialf remains in the field to complete final preparatory works and module separation to allow final removal in the summer.
Campaign 2 will see Sleipnir remove the remaining topsides in two trips to the field during the summer of 2021, at which point the only remaining visible element of Brae Bravo will be the top of the jacket above the sea surface. A dedicated navigational aid will be placed on the remaining structure and a 500-metre safety zone will remain in place until jacket decommissioning is completed in 2022.