VIDEO: Giant Pioneering Spirit vessel executes lightest lift to date

Allseas-owned giant Pioneering Spirit vessel last Friday removed Aker BP’s original accommodation platform at Valhall (QP) field in the southern part of the North Sea off Norway. 

Allseas has launched a video of the operation. The single-lift operation took two hours to complete from positioning Pioneering Spirit around the platform to the moment of the lift.

The actual “fast lift” of the topsides took only nine seconds. Watch the video here:

Weighing only 3800 t, the QP topsides is the lightest that the world’s largest construction vessel has lifted to date.

The QP topsides and bridge have since been sea-fastened on board Pioneering Spirit for transport to the Kvaerner disposal yard in Norway. The topsides will be transferred to a cargo barge at a sheltered location close to the yard for load-in to the quay for dismantling. The bridge, meanwhile, will be crane-lifted directly onto the quayside.

Before it removed the Valhall QP for Aker BP, the Pioneering Spirit in March performed its heaviest lift ever, while working on the Equinor-operated Johan Sverdrup field offshore Norway. After that, the vessel returned to work on the Nord Stream 2 offshore gas pipeline.

For its next assignment, the Pioneering Spirit will return to the North Sea to remove the 24,800 t Brent Bravo topsides for Shell UK.

Offshore Energy Today Staff

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