More days added to Prosafe unit operating at Buzzard

Offshore accommodation rig provider Prosafe has been awarded more work for one of its units operating on the CNOOC Petroleum-operated asset off the UK.

Prosafe said on Friday that CNOOC Petroleum Europe has exercised two of the three 30-day options available to extend the Safe Boreas at the Buzzard platform complex in the UK sector of the North Sea.

Following this extension, the accommodation rig will operate on the Buzzard field until the end of September 2021.

To remind, Prosafe signed a contract with CNOOC Petroleum Europe for the charter of the Safe Boreas to provide gangway connected operations supporting the Buzzard platform complex back in late February 2021.

The firm duration of the contract was for 100 days with three 30-day options. The contract started in mid-April 2021.

The CNOOC-operated Buzzard field is located in the North Sea’s Outer Moray Firth, east of Scotland. The operator this week confirmed that that the heavy lift of the Buzzard Phase II (BPII) topside module onto the Buzzard ‘P’ platform was completed on 23 June 2021, using the giant Pioneering Spirit vessel.

Phase two of the field development includes a subsea production and water injection manifold located at a new drill centre, tied back to the existing Buzzard facility. The first production from BPII is planned for 4Q 2021.

Safe Boreas is a DP3 semi-submersible ASV. With beds for 450 persons, in single man cabins, the vessel is designed for worldwide operations in the harshest offshore environments.

Another Prosafe unit is operating in the North Sea for a major operator. The Safe Zephyrus, working for Shell on the Shearwater field, has recently seen an outbreak of Covid-19 cases, forcing the field operator to evacuate 85 workers from the flotel to the shore.