ALLSEAS – Allseas removes final Brent rig…

Allseas is proud to announce the safe removal of Shell UK’s 31,000 tonne platform Brent Charlie from the North Sea sector of the North Sea.

Carried out on July 9, the single-lift removal of Brent Charlie by the heavy lift vessel Allseas Pioneering Spirit is the heaviest offshore lift ever carried out and concludes years of engineering and planning.

The former manufacturing facility will be delivered to Able UK’s Seaton Port facility in Hartlepool, North East England for disposal, where more than 97% of the materials will be recycled.

A decade of innovation and trust

The removal of the fourth and final Brent platform is a significant milestone in a remarkable project spanning more than a decade. On all four occasions, Shell UK opted for Allseas’ industry-defining unique motion-compensated lift technology.

Edward Heerema, President of Allseas, says It started in 2013 with Shells decision to award Allseas the contract to design, prepare and remove its four Brent platforms. The confidence then shown in Allseas technical expertise served as a milestone in the 20-year development of the Pioneering Spirit. At the time, the vessel was still under construction, but Shells’ belief in Allseas gave us the opportunity to showcase our single-lift technology.

Major achievement in engineering

The Brent decommissioning project is unique in its scale and complexity, comprising four platforms, three concrete based and one steel jacketed. Allseas played a key role, engineering, preparing and decommissioning all four platforms.

In the execution of the Allseas field, Pioneering Spirit removed and transported almost 100,000 deadweight tonnes to Hartlepool for disposal at the Able UK Seaton Port facility. To date, 98% of all materials from Delta (2017), Bravo (2019) and Alpha (2020) have been recycled.

Safety and environmental benefits

Built to install and remove offshore platforms in a single lift, using an advanced motion compensation system, the Pioneering Spirit has revolutionized the offshore energy industry.

Capable of lifting full surfaces of up to 48,000 tonnes (upgrade to 60,000 tonnes capacity is underway) and jackets of up to 20,000 tonnes, the vessel drastically reduces the amount of offshore work associated with rig installation and decommissioning by moving shore activities where it is safer and more cost-effective.

Single-lift technology reduces the time spent on offshore preparation such as cleaning, breaking up into smaller pieces and installing lift points, thereby significantly reducing health, safety and environmental risks in a harsh offshore environment.

About Allseas

Allseas Group SA is a leading global contractor in offshore pipeline installation, heavy shipping and subsea construction. The company operates a versatile fleet of specialist heavy lift, pipelay and support vessels, designed and developed in-house.

About Shell plc

Shell plc (FTSE: SHEL) (AMS: SHELL) (NYSE: SHEL) is incorporated in England and Wales, headquartered in London and listed on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges. Shell companies have operations in more than 70 countries and territories with businesses including oil and gas exploration and production; production and marketing of liquefied natural gas and gas in liquids; production, marketing and transportation of petroleum and chemical products and renewable energy projects.