
By DARA BUTTERFIELD
NorSea Group (UK) has appointed a new managing director and operations director as it expands into the ‘small piece’ decommissioning market. The Aberdeen-based company said it has already secured a ‘major decommissioning contract’.
Walter Robertson, incoming Managing Director, said: “Despite the current market conditions, we are excited about the opportunities for growth and development that are being presented to us.
“We are principally known as an offshore logistics and base services company, supporting the OGR (oil, gas and renewables) sectors. However, we are expanding our areas of activity with a strong focus on the “small piece” decommissioning market.
“We have already secured a major decommissioning contract, which is being serviced through our deep-water support base at Smith Quay in Peterhead, this being a first for North-East Scotland. We are actively tendering for other opportunities in this growing sector of the market.”
Mike Munro, incoming Operations Director, said: “I’m looking forward to working with Walter to develop NorSea Group’s decommissioning activity. From our four principal bases we are well placed to support projects right around the north and east coasts from the area West of Shetland right through the Northern and Central North Sea.”
NorSea was established as the UK wing of its Norwegian parent company NorSea Group in 2013 when it opened its first office in Aberdeen. Since then there has been significant growth in the company’s business activity in the UK. In addition to establishing a presence in Aberdeen, NorSea Group acquired Danbor Ltd. the leading Danish offshore logistics company and their UK assets are now incorporated into NorSea Group (UK).
NorSea has a long term agreement with Scrabster Harbour Trust, a 15-year lease at South Quay in Montrose and last year made a major move into Peterhead by taking operatorship of Smith Quay and Embankment on a 10-year agreement.
This is the first phase phase a development that will see expansion onto Merchants Quay and provide 400m of deep-water quayside berthing supported by over 50,000m2 of quayside laydown area.
Jee Ltd, a subsea engineering and training firm, has completed a contract with Decom North Sea and Zero Waste Scotland to identify pioneering methods of salvage and re-use options for concrete subsea ‘mattresses’.
Jee developed a number of innovative suggestions for the re-use of the mattress concrete including tidal lagoons structures, the construction of artificial reefs to encourage new sea life and to lay road foundations, resulting in lower demand for new concrete, thereby reducing carbon dioxide emissions.