Customer challenges
- Expro was approached by Boskalis on behalf of Spirit Energy to provide a solution to safely decommission a flowline which was tied back to a subsea well on the Morecambe platform in the Irish Sea. The well had come to the end of its economic life - cleaning and disconnecting the flowline was the first step in the decommissioning process
- Mobilisation was required within two months of the initial project award
- The scope of work leveraged Expro's hydrocarbon and fluid handling capabilities on the platform. These included:
- Process control and degassing
- Fluid handling and water filtration
- Onsite water analysis using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) technology
Expro Excellence
- Expro was part of an integrated team incorporating personnel from Platform Operations and the Dive Support Vessel
- The work scope was to flush and clean 8.3km of 8" subsea flowline and control umbilical
- This project is an example of how Expro's capabilities can be readily applied to non-standard hydrocarbon containment operations such as pipeline decommissioning. It clearly demonstrates the adaptability of Expro Well Test personnel and equipment
- Expro worked closely with Spirit Energy and Boskalis to establish detailed plans which resulted in a non-standard hydrocarbon containment operations such as pipleline decommissioning, it clearly demonstrates the adaptability of Expro Well Test personnel and equipment
- Expro worked closely with Spirit Energy and Boskalis to establish detailed plans which resulted in a non-standard operation being performed efficiently and without incident. The planning and operational highlights included:
- An extensive site survey that ensured a practical, solution-based approach
- Development of a comprehensive method statement to deliver the operation, on a job-specific level (including contingencies)
- Utilisation of Expro's Fluid Sampling service, with a production chemist on board the platform to ensure that cleanliness objectives were met before disposal overboard
- Efficient handling of the crosslinked gel containing solvent and surfactant from the pipeline, enabling the fluids to be separated and sent to the platform facilities without any interruption to production
- The integrated team used their exceptional experience and communication skills to ensure the successful completion of the project, overcoming the challenges of high flow rates, (6.25 bbl per minute), a difficult working environment and the installation of temporary equipment on a fixed installation
Value to client
- Intensive planning resulted in continuous operations with zero NPT avoiding the additional cost of Dive Support Vessel delays
- The flushing operation ( 8 hours pumping) was completed ahead of schedule exceeding the expectations of the client representative who awarded the crew a customer performance of 100%
- Expro were commended for their safe, efficient rig up and execution of the work during the project
