Aberdeen-based decommissioning company Well-Safe Solutions said it has awarded two multimillion-dollar contracts to continue the transformation of the semi-submersible drilling rig Well-Safe Guardian into a bespoke plug and abandonment unit.
Global Energy Group will provide quayside services and the paintwork scope while Rigfit7seas will provide accommodation upgrade services.
Well-Safe said it is progressing in a timely manner with the refurbishment work on the asset, which it acquired from Diamond Offshore earlier this summer. As part of the upgrade, Well-Safe will be installing a dive system and the capability to deploy a subsea intervention lubricator (SIL).
Phil Milton, Chief Executive Officer of Well-Safe Solutions, said, “The award of these contracts, within the timeframes we committed to, will ensure that this bespoke plug and abandonment asset will be available to the industry in 2020.”
Global Energy Group, who have been supporting Well-Safe with marine operations and quayside services since April this year have secured the contract to support the upgrades and life extension works at the Port of Nigg.
Stuart Paterson, Managing Director for Global Energy Group, Access & Coatings, said, “We expect to have in the region of 80 personnel engaged on various work scopes until the end of the year. Working in partnership with Well-Safe, Global Energy Group will provide fully encapsulated scaffold access, blast and paint services along with the provision of rope access personnel, mobile cranes, plant and labor, workboats and onsite facilities for the duration of the rigs yard stay at our Nigg Energy Park facility.”
Brian Knowles, Group Managing Director, Rigfit7seas said the project, "at peak, will secure around 50 jobs across our engineering and construction teams for approximately 100 days, starting immediately.”
Milton added, “We believe we are now a key part of helping the industry achieve its 35% decommissioning cost reduction target. Joint well plug and abandonment campaigns, using our club approach will not only be more cost efficient, but also help build UK supply chain expertise in decommissioning.”
According to Well-Safe, research has indicated there are more than 33,000 wells worldwide to be decommissioned over the next 20 years. Well-Safe said its long-term goal is to export its model and advance from the UK into this global marketplace.