Oil major BP is working on decommissioning of its Miller field located in the UK sector of the North Sea.
BP on Saturday through its social media channels shared images of the Miller platform topsides being removed with a Saipem vessel. The oil company said that over 40,000 tons of equipment would be transported to Norway for onshore demolition and recycling.
The Miller field is situated 270km north east of Aberdeen, in Blocks 16/7b and 16/8b, in the Central North Sea. BP is the field operator, and its partners are ConocoPhillips and Shell. The Miller platform is an integrated oil and gas drilling, production, processing and accommodation platform installed in 1991.
The field ceased production in 2007 and the UK Government approved the decommissioning program in December 2013. BP has already completed the first phase of decommissioning, involving well abandonment and topsides clean up.
The pipelines which were used to export oil and gas from the Miller installation were flushed clear of hydrocarbons and left in place for potential future use.
? heavy lifting offshore: we’re decommissioning our Miller platform in the #NorthSea . Over 40,000 tons of equipment will be transported to #Norway for onshore demolition and recycling pic.twitter.com/UIenaaFuIh
— BP (@BP_plc) March 31, 2018
In April 2016 , Petrofac was awarded a Duty Holder contract from BP to support the late life management of the platform.
Under the contract, Petrofac assumed operator responsibility for the platform and agreed to manage all aspects of on and offshore activities during the decommissioning program.
BP hired Saipem and its semi-submersible crane and pipelaying vessel, Saipem 7000, in December 2016 to carry out decommissioning of the topsides and jacket of the Miller platform.
The Saipem 7000 is equipped with a dynamic positioning system, has a 14,000-tonne lifting capacity, and is capable of laying subsea pipelines in ultra-deep waters.
Offshore Energy Today Staff