Added: 23rd August 2023 by Veolia UK
Shell operates a number of oil and gas assets in the North Sea. As the Shell Indefatigable (INDE) field came to the end of its useful life, its infrastructure had to be decommissioned in a safe and environmentally responsible way. The platforms consisted of eight gas field ‘jackets’ and eight topsides weighing a total of around 10,500 tonnes.
This was a true test of Veolia’s technical and industrial capability and required the right planning and engineering procedures to be in place for the receipt and load-in of the vast structures. The key goals were to:
Load the structures from delivery barges to the quayside
Move to stillages in designated areas
Dismantle, recycle and dispose of materials in line with Environment Agency expectations
Veolia has the know-how to achieve high recycling rates for end of life assets, so clients can profit from asset reuse and landfill savings, as well as meeting environmental targets.
The platforms were towed on barges 120 nautical miles from the INDE field by Seaway Heavy Lifting.
Detailed risk assessments for the load-in and set down of the structures were undertaken.
Veolia carried out a comprehensive inspection, sampling, decontaminating and safely removing waste streams using detailed method statements.
Once certified for deconstruction, the demolition phase began in line with detailed engineering plans. Cranes and excavators minimised the risk to manual labour as the structures were reduced in size.
Veolia was able to dispose of the entire structure in the most environmentally-friendly way. 98.9% of the materials were sent off-site for recycling, maximising re-use and minimising landfill costs for Shell.
