The Polycrown flotel is to be sold after supplementing the living quarters on Statoil's Statfjord A platform in the North Sea since 1984.
This follows agreement by the Statfjord licensees, which own the accommodation rig, that it can be removed from the field by December 2000 at the latest.
The working environment committee for the Statfjord operations organisation in Exploration & Production Norway has also supported the decision.
Statoil already has the consent of the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate to remove the flotel, which has served as an evacuation point in the event of emergencies on Statfjord A.
To meet the safety and emergency response requirements set by both operator and the authorities, freefall lifeboats will need to be installed on the A platform. This is due to be done next summer
Polycrown could be chartered back until 2001 if a quick sale is achieved, reports Terje Overvik, operations superintendent on Statfjord A.
With operations set to decline over the rest of the platform's producing life, staffing requirements will also be reduced to a point where the 195 berths on Statfjord A are sufficient.
Polycrown has been recertified for a further five years, and Mr Overvik says its technical standard is good.
Fearnley Offshore has been appointed to broker a sale.