Decommissioning oil and gas platforms

The project

We are faced with a major challenge: hundreds of oil and gas platforms in the North Sea will be repurposed or decommissioned in the coming years. As a result of the energy transition and sustainability goals set by the Paris Climate Agreement, the use of fossil fuels will continue to be scaled back. And with that, platforms will also be removed. It is essential that these platforms, including topsides, jackets, and infrastructure, be removed in their entirety. Iv assists platform owners with the dismantling process, better known as ‘decommissioning’.

The challenge

Extensive preparatory work is required to completely dismantle oil and gas platforms and safely transport them to shore. This work includes offshore inspections, weight calculations and determining the centre of gravity of the topside and jacket. Existing documentation is also reviewed and verified. Lifting and transportation analyses are then carried out. Additional measures are taken if necessary, such as applying additional lifting points. The structure used to transport the platform, the ‘grillage’, is also designed by Iv. Following the arrival of a decommissioned platform at a shipyard, a loadout analysis is conducted.

The impact

Dismantling oil and gas platforms contributes to the circularity of material use. A platform can easily carry 5,000 tonnes of steel. This steel is cut into pieces at the shipyard and largely reused, saving millions of kilos of steel from unnecessary waste. Moreover, removing old platforms creates space in the North Sea to produce green energy.

Curious about the possibilities for your project?

Fedor, managing director of Offshore & Energy/Infra and also COO of Iv, would be delighted to discuss this with you! Get in touch via +31 88 943 3300 or send a message.

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Fedor van Veen