The new Montrose field bridge-linked oil platform has sailed out from the Heerema yard near Rotterdam for the North Sea.
The new platform will be connected to the 40-year old Montrose Alpha platform to provide additional process and plant support facilities. The project is expected to extend the life of the Montrose Area fields by at least 13 years, to beyond 2030, and unlock an additional 100 million boe of reserves.
The Montrose Area comprises the Montrose, Arbroath, Arkwright, Brechin, Wood, Godwin, Shaw and Cayley fields and is located in blocks 22/17, 22/18, 22/22 and 22/23 – about 150 miles east of Aberdeen.
The 10,500 tonnes topsides will make a short stop off at Schiedam (west of Rotterdam) for the installation and commissioning of an 80-tonne pedestal crane and the attachment of the upper sections of the exhaust stacks.
At the end of April, the platform will then travel 430 nautical miles to the Montrose field, located in Block 22/17 in the Central North Sea.
Talisman Sinopec UK approved the new platform to significantly enhance the Montrose field infrastructure, including the development of three new fields – Godwin, Cayley, and Shaw.
Bill Dunnett, Managing Director, said: “The Montrose Area Redevelopment is not only one of the biggest capital projects in the UK North Sea this year, but also a tangible demonstration of the long term commitment of our shareholders and partners to the UKCS.
“It adds a completely new facility to our core infrastructure and can be a game-changer for this business, adding significant production and maximising economic recovery from these historic assets for years to come.”
Talisman Sinopec Energy is the operator with a working interest of 58.97%, and Marubeni Oil & Gas (UK) Limited is the sole partner.
Subsea development works undertaken by Subsea 7 included the fabrication and installation of two 5km long pipeline bundles and the installation of a suite of production, water injection and gas lift pipelines and a control umbilical, 17km long
The new platform jacket weighs 5,745t and measures 119m in height; it was built at the OGN yard in Tyne & Wear
The bridge connecting Montrose Alpha and the new BLP measures 71m in length and weighs 350t. The bridge and flare were built at the Wilton Engineering Services yard on Teesside.
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