Axess Technologies, a subsidiary of Axess Group – an asset integrity management company – has signed a caisson replacement contract with Norway’s state-owned energy player Equinor for a platform located in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea.
According to Axess Technologies, the scope of work includes the replacement of four caissons on the Oseberg C platform in the North Sea. A study conducted earlier in 2023 determined that the replacement method would be similar to what was done on the Brage platform in 2018. The company explains that this saved almost 1,700 t CO2e for the client.
Jan Owe Stenløs , Director – Solutions at Axess Technologies, commented: “We are grateful for another opportunity to work closely with Equinor on such a significant project. Our replacement method is an innovative one, which involves performing the lifting operations below the platform deck with the aid of a specialized ROV . This eliminates the need for a support vessel, which significantly reduces carbon emissions. The caisson replacement will ensure a stable seawater supply for Oseberg C for its remaining lifetime.”
Axess Technologies confirms that the engineering and procurement phases have already begun. The offshore preparation campaign, including subsea preparations, and operations are planned to take place in 2024. The Equinor-operated Oseberg field is the third-largest oil producer ever on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) and when it came on stream, it was expected to produce around one billion barrels of oil.
The Oseberg Field Center – located in Block 30/6 and 30/9, about 130 kilometers northwest of Bergen – includes three platforms, Oseberg A, B, and D, connected to one another with bridges, in the southern part of the Oseberg field, and the Oseberg C platform, which lies 13 kilometers north of the field center. Oseberg C is an integrated accommodation, processing, and drilling platform that sits atop a steel jacket and oil is produced from 18 wells.