TAQA gains approval for decommissioning plans for North Sea topsides

Oil and gas company TAQA Bratani has received approval from the UK authorities for its drafts decommissioning programs for the Tern and North Cormorant platform topsides, located in the UK North Sea.

As previously reported, TAQA Bratani filed its decommissioning programs for the Tern and North Cormorant platform topsides back in July 2020.

The large steel jacket / sub-structure of both the North Cormorant and Tern platforms will be subject to separate decommissioning programs.

These plans have now been approved and, under these plans, topsides of both these platforms will be removed onshore for reuse, recycling or disposal.

The execution window for both platform topsides decommissioning is at the earliest possible date in 2024 through to project completion in 2028.

The North Cormorant platform is located in Block 211/21a in the UK Northern North Sea. The field was discovered in May 1974 by Shell / Esso with the platform installed in 1981 and production starting in February 1982.

A Cessation of Production for the North Cormorant was submitted in 3Q 2020 and the CoP date is currently anticipated to be in 4Q 2023.

The North Cormorant is a fixed installation serving as manned drilling and production facility for the Cormorant North field, which lies within the East Shetland Basin of the UKCS in licence block 211/21a.

The platform is located in 160 meters water depth and consists of an eight-legged steel jacket substructure, weighing 20,052 Te

The North Cormorant platform facilitates production from the North Cormorant and Cormorant East Fields. Oil and gas imported from Otter is separated out and processed via the North Cormorant process facilities.

The Tern platform is located in Block 210/25a in the UK Northern North Sea. The field was discovered in May 1975 by Shell / Esso with the facility installed in 1988 and production started in February 1989.

A CoP (Cessation of Production) application for Tern has been prepared and was submitted to the Oil & Gas Authority (OGA) in 4Q 2019. Just like North Cormorant, the CoP date for Tern is currently anticipated to be in 4Q 2023.

Tern is a fixed Installation serving as manned drilling and production facility for the Tern Field, which lies within the East Shetland Basin of the UKCS in licence block 210/25a.

The installation is located in 167 metres water depth and consists of a four-legged, steel jacket substructure, anchored by piles to the seabed.

Oil from the Tern, Hudson (operated by Dana), Kestrel, Falcon and Cladhan fields is produced and exported from the Tern installation to North Cormorant through a 16-inch subsea pipeline, and then via the Brent Oil Pipeline System to Sullom Voe in the Shetland Islands.

The separated gas is distributed between the Tern, Hudson, Kestrel, Falcon and Cladhan facilities as fuel gas and lift gas, with any excess being exported via subsea pipelines to Hudson, Kestrel, Falcon, Cladhan and Otter facilities.