The single-lift removal of Brent Charlie by Allseas’ heavy lift vessel Pioneering Spirit represents the heaviest offshore lift ever performed and concludes years of engineering and planning.
The former production facility will be delivered to Able UK’s Seaton Port facility in Hartlepool, northeast England, for disposal, where more than 97% of the materials will be recycled.
A Decade of Innovation and Trust
Removal of the fourth and final Brent platform is a significant milestone in a remarkable project spanning more than a decade. On all four occasions, Shell UK has opted for Allseas industry-defining single lift, motion-compensated technology.
Edward Heerema, Allseas Chairman, says, “It started in 2013, with Shell’s decision to award Allseas the contract for the engineering, preparation, and removal of its four Brent platforms. The trust shown then in Allseas’ technical expertise served as a milestone in the 20-year development of Pioneering Spirit. At the time, the vessel was still under construction, but Shell’s belief in Allseas gave us the opportunity to showcase our single-lift technology.”
Major Engineering Achievement
The Brent decommissioning project is unique in its scale and complexity, comprising four platforms—three concrete-based and one steel jacket. Allseas has played a key role in performing the engineering, preparation, and removal of all four platforms.
In executing Allseas’ scope, Pioneering Spirit has removed and transported close to 100,000 tonnes of topside weight to Hartlepool for disposal at the Able UK Seaton Port facility. To date, 98% of all materials from Delta (2017), Bravo (2019), and Alpha (2020) topsides have been recycled.
Safety and Environmental Benefits
Built to install and remove offshore platforms in a single lift using an advanced motion compensation system, Pioneering Spirit has revolutionized the offshore energy industry.
Capable of lifting entire topsides up to 48,000 tonnes (upgrade to 60,000-tonne capacity is ongoing) and jackets up to 20,000 tonnes, the vessel drastically reduces the amount of offshore work associated with platform installation and decommissioning, shifting the activities onshore where it’s safer and more cost-effective.
The single-lift technology reduces the time spent on offshore preparation, such as cleaning, separating into smaller pieces, and installing lift points, thereby significantly reducing health, safety, and environmental risks in a harsh offshore environment.
