UK-headquartered energy giant BP has hired a new joint venture (JV) between Three60 Energy (THREE60) and AF Offshore Decom (AFOD), a subsidiary of AF Gruppen, on a multimillion-pound assignment for integrated decommissioning services at its field on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS).
The joint venture, which will provide BP with integrated decommissioning services for the Andrew field in the North Sea, describes the contract as “a first of its kind in the UKCS,” which allows the JV to assume the role of decommissioning services partner, delivering post cessation of production (CoP) operations, well decommissioning, facilities/pipelines/topsides preparation, substructure and topsides disposal and subsea infrastructure removal.
The JV partners, which will also work alongside the topsides removal contractor to ensure unified delivery of the full decommissioning scope, underline this contract, subject to regulatory approvals, will be delivered over several phases, with the initial phase being well planning, plug and abandonment (P&A) preparation scopes, including platform readiness, and transition planning.
Walter Thain , Group CEO of Three60, commented: “We are honoured to partner with AF Offshore Decom on this significant BP project. The award is testament to both our team’s collective work throughout the tender process and in co-creating a bespoke solution to meet BP’s requirements. We are dedicated to delivering comprehensive and safe decommissioning solutions and really excited to embark on this journey.”
While Three60 will combine its capability as installation, pipeline, and well operator with AF Offshore Decom’s experience and track record in EPRD preparation, management, and disposal, the company’s engineering, subsea, operations and wells team will leverage its experience as duty holder, pipeline operator and well operator to deliver this integrated scope.
Alice Andreassen , Managing Director at AFOD, emphasized: “We have found the right partner who complements our vision of delivering across the entire value chain. In this partnership, AFOD will integrate with THREE60 to deliver integrated decommissioning solutions in compliance with bp requirements.
“We are really looking forward to embarking on this journey together with Three60, to deliver this important project with BP. This partnership is strategically important for the North Sea market and the future of decommissioning project execution models.”
The JV’s scope of work will be delivered from a Three60 – AF project office headquartered in central Aberdeen, Scotland. Located 225 kilometers northeast of Aberdeen, the Andrew field serves as a central hub for four subsea fields, with a steel structure that integrates both drilling and production facilities.
While the asset’s topsides weigh approximately 11,100 tonnes and the supporting structure around 7,600 tonnes, the Andrew area includes 17 platform wells, 8 subsea wells, 41 kilometers of subsea bundles, 42 kilometers of umbilicals, and 2,500 tonnes of subsea equipment.
This assignment comes months after Three60 Energy won a six-year deal to lead a project described as the UK’s first multi-asset decommissioning scope.