ASCO to provide logistics support for IOG’s Core Project Phase 1

Global logistics and materials management provider ASCO has been contracted to provide logistics and supply base services for IOG’s Core Project Phase 1 in the Southern North Sea (SNS).

The contract to ASCO, announced on Monday, was awarded by Petrofac in line with its role as well operator for IOGs’ development of the Southwark, Blythe, and Elgood fields.

IOG awarded the deal to Petrofac’s Engineering & Production Services business in June 2020, only a month after the UK authorities approved Phase 1 of the Core Project.

Phase 1 comprises the development and production of the Southwark, Blythe and Elgood fields in the UK Southern North Sea through a total of five wells, with gas transported onshore via the Thames Pipeline.

As for the ASCO deal, the 20-month contract will see the company service the five-well development via its Great Yarmouth hub, from where quayside services including marine gas oil, water, storage, warehousing, and CCU provision will be supplied.

Operating eight berths within Great Yarmouth harbour, ASCO’s logistics capability includes shore-based services, storage and warehousing and environmental services in addition to the largest local transport fleet in the logistics sector.

Alisdair Duncan, ASCO general manager at Great Yarmouth, said: “We are delighted to continue consolidating our relationship with Petrofac, which spans more than a decade and we are particularly pleased to be playing an integral part in the development of a major project within the Southern North Sea.

“Securing such projects locally is critical to ensuring the longer-term sustainability of the supply chain in the Southern North Sea.

“ASCO’s Great Yarmouth hub is strategically placed to provide flexible logistics and supply base services to customers active in the region, whilst our quayside location and 90-strong staff are renowned for optimising safe and efficient operations, whilst minimising environmental impact”.

Also on Monday, IOG awarded the Phase 1 duty holder contract for the installation and pipeline operator as well as facilities operations and maintenance to ODE.

ODE would be responsible for production operations from its Phase 1 offshore infrastructure in the UK Southern North Sea, including the Blythe and Southwark platforms, the Thames Pipeline, and the associated subsea connector lines.

The oil and gas firm recently announced it would be supporting research that will identify, examine, and test carbon storage sites and other low-carbon renewable options in the Southern North Sea.