Work on removing part of the 2/4-S riser platform in the Ekofisk area of Norway’s North Sea sector is about to start.
This installation, which formed part of the Statpipe gas trunkline system until the autumn of 1998, is the first Statoil platform off Norway to be removed.
Following a preliminary cleansing of oil and gas residues, the topside modules and gangway to other Ekofisk installations will be lifted off by Heerema Marine Contractors.
This company has been preparing the operation together with ABB since last summer, and will use the Thialf crane ship for the job.
The modules will be shipped to Lyngdal Recycling in southern Norway for conversion into a number of new products, including nails and running surfaces for sports arenas.
Plans call for Thialf to arrive at Lyngdal around 25 May, reports project manager Sverre Dunseth. He will monitor the work there during the summer and autumn.
The 2/4-S jacket will be scrapped later, probably at the same time as Ekofisk operator Phillips Petroleum removes other installations in the area.