WATCH: Mariner FSU Parks at Nigg Energy Park

The Mariner B vessel was this weekend safely berthed at Global Energy Group’s Nigg Energy Park, north of Inverness, after completing the 15,800 nautical miles journey from the Samsung construction yard in South Korea.

Mariner B, the floating storage unit (FSU) for the Statoil-operated Mariner field on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS), left South Korea on 20 June. It has sailed a distance equaling two thirds around the world.

At Global Energy Group’s facilities at Nigg, the vessel will take on board a fiscal metering package, fabricated locally, before continuing out to the field, where it will be anchored, hooked up to risers and carry out other tie-in and pre-commissioning activities.

Johan A. Johansen, Statoil’s vice president for operations in the UK and Ireland, said: “Following last year’s successful installation of the steel jacket for the Mariner A platform, we are now getting another key component in place on the field. This year will also see the start of pre-drilling of production wells. We are very much looking forward to increasing our operational activity on the UK Continental Shelf.”

Mariner B will have the conventional role of receiving, storing and offloading the oil produced at the field, but also play a role in the production process as storage for diluent, which will be mixed with the heavy Mariner oil during the production process to enhance processing and increase the value of the crude. Total storage capacity is around 850,000 barrels, of which around 150,000 barrels is reserved for diluent.

The topsides for the Mariner A platform are expected to arrive next year. Following hook-up and commissioning, start-up is planned for 2018.

The Mariner field is located on the East Shetland Platform of the UK North Sea, approximately 95 miles or 150 kilometres east of Shetland.

The field development concept includes a production, drilling and quarters (PDQ) platform based on a steel jacket, Mariner A, connected to a floating storage unit (FSU), Mariner B.