UK specialist to develop maintenance strategy for DeNovo’s renewable-powered asset off Trinidad

UK-headquartered oilfield consultancy specialist Oil Plus has been awarded a contract by DeNovo Energy to support its renewable energy powered Zandolie platform, located offshore western Trinidad.

Oil Plus reported on Wednesday that the contract would enable it to develop the maintenance strategy and programme for DeNovo’s Zandolie platform while supporting the operator’s green strategies and ambitions for delivering a lower carbon emissions future.

The company explained that its Aberdeen arm would develop a comprehensive maintenance management strategy and programme to support the continued safe operations on Zandolie, utilising AIM, its computerised asset integrity management aid.

Mike Noble, Maintenance Engineering Team Leader at Oil Plus, remarked: “Developing an optimised maintenance programme is essential to mitigating equipment failures, avoiding costly delays, and reducing CO2 footprint. Our unique AIMS+ application coupled with our technical capabilities can reduce the effort required to build a maintenance programme and provide robust quality checks. The information gathered also results in a more meaningful improvement cycle to enhance an asset’s overall performance in the long term.”

The firm’s modular-based solution migrates all other maintenance software, such as Maximo, SAP and InforEAM, seamlessly to build a verified asset register. Afterwards, the amalgamated data is used to establish an effective and aligned maintenance programme of scheduled jobs based on best working practices and international legislation compliance.

Oil Plus confirms this is its third maintenance management contract with DeNovo. Recently, the firm concluded a similar project to support DeNovo’s onshore GPU facility followed by a second scope at its Iguana field, the first west coast natural gas field to be developed in Trinidad and Tobago.

“Being awarded this third maintenance management contract with DeNovo demonstrates the value the organisation places on using the best available technology and expertise to support its green strategies and ambitions for delivering a lower carbon emissions future,” added Noble.

Located in Block 1A in the Gulf of Paria – approximately 45 kilometres offshore from the Point Lisas Industrial Estate – the Zandolie field is DeNovo’s second field development project and the first gas production is expected in the first half of 2022.

The Zandolie platform is an unmanned gas producing unit, which uses a combination of power generated by a wind turbine and a solar bank, with a battery for storing any excess energy. As it is tied back to the Iguana field’s infrastructure and equipped with intelligent monitoring technology, the need for maintenance personnel to travel to the asset has been reduced. As a result, carbon emissions associated with transportation have also been significantly reduced.

“We look forward to supporting DeNovo and keeping the Zandolie asset producing safely and reliably for many years to come,” concluded Noble.

DeNovo awarded several contracts in the last few months aimed at bringing the Zandolie project to life. To this end, the firm awarded a shore-based services contract to Peterson in October, following the contract for the construction, installation, and commissioning of its new Zandolie platform with United Engineering Services awarded earlier that month.

Furthermore, following a FEED contract awarded by DeNovo in May last year, Aquaterra Energy already completed the engineering design of a Sea Swift type offshore platform for the Zandolie field.