Spirit Energy celebrates decommissioning high

Spirit Energy is experiencing its busiest year-to-date in decommissioning with offshore campaigns across the CNS, SNS and East Irish Sea.

The most recent activity to complete is the final phase of the campaign to remove the DP3 and DP4 installations in the Morecambe Bay development in the East Irish Sea. Completed by Allseas with its Pioneering Spirit, the largest construction vessel in the world, a total of 9,000 tonnes of jacket structures were removed in tandem using the jacket lift system on the vessel and loaded directly onto the Iron Lady barge to be transferred to Fife for recycling.

In the Central North Sea (CNS), a 14-well P&A programme across four fields; Chestnut, Birch, Larch and Sycamore, is being executed from Well-Safe Solutions’ Well-Safe Defender vessel. Chestnut’s well decommissioning has been completed, bringing to an end the 15-year story of the Chestnut field.

Nicholas Riley, Well Operations Manager, Spirit Energy: “The Chestnut campaign has been delivered with exemplary safety and operational performance; this was our ultimate aim when we set out to select our partners for the CNS abandonment campaign. With this first milestone achieved, we look forward to the remainder of the campaign.”

In the Southern North Sea (SNS), during a single mobilisation, Heerema Marine Contractors has successfully removed three topsides and three jackets with SSCV Thialf crane vessel, and DeepOcean are set to recover subsea infrastructure from six assets later this year. The recycling of all structures will be performed by Thompsons of Prudhoe in the Port of Blyth, making Spirit Energy the first user of the decommissioning alliance between the two companies.

Head of Decommissioning and projects at Spirit Energy, Donald Martin, commented: “Combining decommissioning programmes and supply chain opportunities at portfolio level has created significant economies of scale with our partners leveraging the capability of their assets. This has also helped create opportunities to share campaign management responsibilities, leading to a lean and agile team. The recent successful completion of the removals of the DP3 and DP4 jackets marks a significant milestone towards our longer-term transition plan for the Morecambe hub being converted into a world-class carbon storage cluster.” 

Spirit Energy, CEO, Neil McCulloch, said: “We are very proud of our efforts and achievements in decommissioning carried out by a first-class team of Spirit employees working collaboratively with the supply chain. Our team has thought strategically and formed long-term, high-value and high-trust relationships with our supply chain partners and we are very pleased to have achieved such a high level of local content and repeat business with UK and Netherlands-based firms where our core business lies. Of course, we are also pleased to continually deliver industry-leading decommissioning cost performance in line with our stewardship obligations from our regulators.”

About Spirit Energy:

We are a pioneering energy company with two shareholders: Centrica plc (69%), and Stadtwerke München GmbH SWM (31%). We operate in the UK and the Netherlands, with a 700-strong team, and 25 producing field interests.

Our portfolio and ambitions span the breadth of the energy transition. We’re continuing to break new ground, collaborating, and thinking differently. Our strategy is focused on: safely delivering production from our existing assets; meeting and de-risking our decommissioning obligations and pursuing strategic energy transition opportunities from our existing assets. 

We’re proud of our heritage. With more than 30 years of production, we’re maximising the potential of our existing assets and substantial gas reserves in the UK and Netherlands. Above all, we live by our commitment to safety in everything we do. Our portfolio is predominantly gas (96%), providing vital, primary energy to fuel our homes and businesses in the UK and Europe.

Issued on behalf of Spirit Energy by ThinkPR. For further information contact Leigh-Ann Rogie on 07904190771 or leigh-ann@thinkpr.co.uk