A North Sea oil firm has started removing the giant production platform used on a venerable field in what it reckons is one of the biggest projects of its kind to be attempted in the area.
TAQA has begun the task of lifting the topsides section of the Brae Platform from the massive steel jacket that it stands on around 170 miles north east of Aberdeen.
The start of the removal work closes a chapter in the history of a field that Abu Dhabi-owned TAQA said had been an important contributor to the North Sea oil and gas industry for decades. The platform was brought into operation in 1988.
The task of removing the topsides will be completed in phases over the summer using two of the world’s largest semi-submersible crane vessels.
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TAQA said there will be more than 500 people working offshore on the programme during peak decommissioning operations.
The company said: “As a late-life asset operator, safety and environmental impact principles are at the centre of the project for TAQA and its partners.
“All waste materials will be transported to the AF Environmental Base in Vats, Norway and processed, aiming for a 95 per cent recycling or reuse target.”
TAQA said following the removal of the topsides the only remaining visible element of Brae Bravo will be the top of the jacket above the sea surface. A 500-metre safety zone will remain in place until jacket decommissioning is completed in 2022.
TAQA also operates the Brae Alpha platform, which is still in production. Brae Alphais is linked to other reservoirs from those that were served by Brae Bravo.
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The costs of decommissioning are expected to weigh heavily on the UK Government in coming years as many fields reach the ends of their lives. They are tax-deductible. Royal Dutch Shell was repaid a total of $604m in respect of the decommissioning of the Brent field and other Northern North Sea projects in the six years from 2015.
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