Harbour Energy Taps Expro for P&A Campaign in UK Continental Shelf

The multiyear, $20 million-plus contract is for a well abandonment campaign in the Balmoral area in the UK central North Sea.

The UK’s largest oil and gas producer Harbour Energy awarded energy services provider Expro a new contract for a well abandonment campaign as part of a decommissioning project on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS).

The multiyear contract will use Expro’s Subsea Well Access technology with a combination of open-water and in-riser applications deployed from a semisubmersible rig for the project in the Balmoral area. The company said the value of the contract is more than $20 million.

Harbour Energy is the operator of the area that includes the Balmoral, Glamis, Stirling, Brenda, and Nicol fields in Blocks 16/21a, 16/21b, and 16/21c of the UKCS. The area ceased production in October 2020.

“We are proud to have secured this award by offering an innovative approach to meet the needs of this important customer,” said Colin Mackenzie, vice president of Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa for Expro. “We believe that our leading-edge technology continues to deliver safe, reliable, and environmentally secure subsea well access in support of major projects around the world.”

The UK-based energy services provider said the lightweight open-water system will help mitigate the loading and fatigue issues on the wellhead and Xmas trees during the subsea well access intervention part of the overall abandonment campaign.

Additionally, the technology expands the company’s subsea well access portfolio, enabling the supply of subsea well access tooling required for the abandonment campaign on the Balmoral area for horizontal and vertical Xmas trees.

Wells that require abandonment tend to suffer from loading and fatigue issues on the wellhead and Xmas trees. Expro’s supply of the lightweight open-water system will help to mitigate these loading issues during the subsea well access intervention part of the overall abandonment campaign.

The company said the system technology eliminates the use of a dual-bore riser for the abandonment campaign, delivering reduced system deployment and retrieval times, and lower maintenance costs.

Expro said the award further extends its involvement in this major campaign, with its well test and well construction teams currently supporting the project. The contract will be delivered from the company’s Aberdeen facilities.

Read the latest issue of the OGV Energy magazine HERE