Page 26: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Aug/Sep 2013)

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Decommissioning

Gulfstream Services Inc. provides cost savings to customers with shearing and grappling services to reduce pipeline decommissioning cutting times by 200-300%.

in the North Sea GSI’s decommissioning services have been a weather-related incident occur, Gulfstream has already requested to replace the initially chosen cutting contractor signed frst-right-of-refusal contracts for its shear technology and fnish the job. Our services resulted inreduced on- with two major offshore operators. Adequate equipment and location time, equating to a huge cost savings for the client,” personnel are stationed in Louisiana and are prepared for

Adams says. quick response.

Since oil and gas shearing technology was introduced in “Our priority is to respond to the client’s needs in the 2005, greater than 7,000 shear cuts and 5,000 subsea debris event a production platform is damaged or toppled,” Adams removal grapple retrievals have been logged worldwide by says. “Our current level of assets, personnel are capable of

GSI. This experience has provided many lessons learned addressing any emergency decommissioning needs in the along with experienced seasoned technicians. Gulf of Mexico.”

A focus on reducing personnel exposure through equip- ment development and eliminating chance of environmental

Cause for innovation

Working and learning how to operate in the Gulf of Mexico damage is at the top of everyone’s priority list. Thus the during temporary harsh environments, or after the fact, can industry is ever changing. It is moving to eliminate hot lead to innovative processes, services and products that can work. This means that the future of the industry will entail be used in both the Gulf and the North Sea. For example, more cold cutting with shears, saws and abrasives, while after the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion in the eliminating torch cutting by divers.”

Macondo oil feld on April 20, 2010, GSI was required to refocus its efforts on the decommissioning side due to more

Future opportunities stringent government regulations. As a result, Gulfstream In the Gulf of Mexico, great portion of the decommissioning recently developed a new product line, known as the Spill industry’s work has been done in shallow-and intermediate-

Mitigation Device. depth water on the continental shelf, Adams explains. “This is a fow control device used in the event of a As the industry expands and deeper water developments hydraulic hose or umbilical breach,” Adams says. “It mature, those areas will be required to be decommissioned minimizes the amount of hydraulic fuid, which could be as well. released into the environment. We proactively designed, These deeper water activities will entail tooling powered developed, and are manufacturing this patent-pending by alternate sources such as ROV. Deeper water always device, which will help operators meet new legislation demands an increase in technology even within the decom- which requires best efforts to minimize hydraulic fuid loss missioning sector.

during an accidental hose breach or leak. Our customers are Going forward, Gulfstream sees new opportunities devel- looking at it as a well-designed, proactive and effective new oping in the Caspian Sea as many of the older Soviet instal- technology.” lations have reached the end of their life cycle. “In addition

While actively participating in the decommissioning mar- to that, a market for decommissioning services in Southeast ket both in the Gulf of Mexico and North Sea, GSI is aware Asia, based in Kuala Lumpur, is on the rise as well,” he says.

of its clients’ emergency needs. Planning for the future with an eye toward new markets

Indeed, that capability is timely. The Gulf Coast is expe- and increasingly innovative technologies is a key strategy for riencing unusually warm weather this summer, which can Gulfstream Services. To create effciencies and streamline the heat up seawater, strengthen hurricane wind force, and processes, Gulfstream continues to invest signifcant capital enlarge a storm’s circumference. In preparedness, should in new technology and product-line development.

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