Six Scottish organisations in the private and public sector have won a share of £1.5 million in grants to develop their N. Sea oil decommissioning facilities.
The projects include innovation in well plugging and abandonment, dry dock upgrades, quayside strengthening and two specialist decommissioning equipment projects in Shetland. (See table, at foot, for details)
The Scot-Govt Decommissioning Challenge Fund supports infrastructure improvements and innovation to expedite decommissioning of redundant North Sea oil and gas infrastructure.
During a visit to Dales Marine Ltd at Leith Docks – one of the projects to receive a grant – Scottish Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse, said: “Decommissioning offers a variety of opportunities for Scottish based firms, such as Dales Marine, right across the supply chain.
“Our Decommissioning Challenge Fund is a clear signal to the market to think seriously about decommissioning – a market that is forecast to be worth up to £17 billion over the period to 2025 – and to plan and invest accordingly. “
| Project Name | Lead Organisation | Project |
| Upgrade and improvements of Dry Dock gates and infrastructure facilities | Kishorn Port Ltd | Permanent pumping system for the dry dock, concrete repairs for extra protection, roadway surfacing for easy access and fendering for flood tunnels to prevent damage to flood covers. |
|
Increased capacity of equipment for temporary/reusable steelwork |
Lerwick Engineering & Fabrication Ltd | The purchasing of a CNC plasma profiler, and a high capacity bandsaw and material handling system. |
| Tubular Cutting Tool | Downhole Energy | The project has a design for a new type of cutting tool, increasing the speed of cutting. |
|
Shetlands Specialist Decommissioning Service Provider |
EMN Plant Ltd | The project is focussed on initial plant and machinery requirements, as well as upskilling staff. |
| Lyness oil and gas decommissioning base | Orkney Isles Council | The project represents the invasive investigation, geo-technical analysis, and bench testing of the sub-soils within the development site. |
| Going Full Circle | Dales Marine Services | The gates and quayside of its Leith site are around 100 years old. Investment is for new gates and operating systems and strengthening of surrounding berths. |
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