ABL Group appointed for decommissioning operations of L7 field in North Sea

TotalEnergies EP Nederland has hired ABL Group (ABL) as marine warranty surveyor to undertake the decommissioning operations of the L7 field in the Dutch part of the North Sea.

This L7 restitution project features decommissioning of nine jackets and ten topside modules, including bridge structures from the L7 field.

These installations weigh a total of around 17,500 tonnes.

The L7 field was a major offshore gas field on the Dutch continental shelf.

Its initial discovery took place in the late 1960s and development of several reservoirs were carried out throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

The field’s 15 production wells produced more than 21bm³ of natural gas (about 140Mboe) with a recovery factor of more than 80%.

Following 40 years of operation, the facilities ceased production in 2017.

Managing the decommissioning project from of its office in Aberdeen, Scotland, ABL will offer marine warranty survey services for the preparations, lifted removals, transportation and relocation to the onshore dismantling yard in Norway.

It will also carry out suitability surveys of all the marine units that will be used for the project.

ABL estimates the contract value to be approximately €500,000.

The Scottish office of ABL will be backed by its operations in the Netherlands and Norway.

ABL country manager in Scotland, Ashley Perrett said: “ABL Group has a long history in the oil and gas sector and vast experience with the challenges and important considerations that can impact decommissioning work. We are delighted to be partnering with TotalEnergies EP Nederland on the L7 project as part of our growing portfolio of work in this area.”

Planning work has begun, and offshore operations will be undertaken throughout this year and next year.

Leveraging a floating sheerleg crane, installations will be removed, and cargo will be transferred to a barge in the waters near Den Helder, Netherlands.

The cargo will be transported to the dismantling yard in Vats, Norway.

AF Offshore Decom will be responsible for managing the removal and recycling of these installations.

ABL Group project manager for the L7 decommissioning project Nicholas Kaczynski said: “Decommissioning of oil and gas fields is a complex task. As a non-productive cost, we fully appreciate the importance of identifying the correct solution to ensure cost-efficiency without compromising safety and quality.”

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