Page 53: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (May 2018)

New Offshore Decommissioning Barge

Longitude Engineering reportedly has ing methods to remove both the topside developed a cost effective decommis- and substructure using the same vessel. sioning barge concept for the removal of For the development of the primary small oil and gas platforms for the PTT ? oat-off lifting system, Longitude part-

Exploration and Production (PTTEP), nered with Bosch Rexroth, to develop a a subsidiary of the Thai state owned heave compensated hydraulic lifting and oil company. The aim was to develop skidding system.

a viable and cost-effective alternative The resulting vessel design can ac- to conventional ‘reverse installation’ commodate the removal of different through the use of heavy lift crane barg- types of topsides and jackets, without es for the removal of the topsides and modifying the barge, from removal jackets. The focus being the removal of preparation stages, lifting, topside skid- 90-100 of PTTEP’s minimum facilities ding and securing to underwater dispos- platform assets in the Gulf of Thailand, al for the substructure and load in to a which have topside weights up to 800 disposal yard for the topside. It also has metric tons and jacket dry weight up to the ability to accommodate 60 opera- 1000 metric tons. “By developing this tional and marine crew for a period of time and cost-saving solution, we hope up to 40 days.

to create a wider awareness among con- PTTEP is currently in discussion with tractors within the region in order that Thailand’s Department of Mineral Fuels they may adopt similar methods in the (DMF), the government body regulating removal of multi -platform ? elds,” said offshore oil and gas operations, which

Jean-Baptiste Meier, Longitude’s lead will sanction the decommissioning engineer. Longitude’s contract was to work, for the start of their removal pro- deliver the conceptual naval, structural, gram which is due to commence in the mechanical and electrical engineering, coming years. With the implementation along with outline operational proce- of new decommissioning regulations, all dures, schedule and capex and opex concessionaires must submit the decom- costing for the new removal concept. missioning plan with cost estimation to

The solution is a barge concept that DMF for ? nancial security placement at uses reverse ? oat-over and on-board lift- the ? rst stage.

Longitude Engineering Longitude Engineering

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