ABL Group Gets L7 Field Decommissioning Job

ABL Group - an independent energy and marine consultancy group to the global renewables, maritime and oil and gas sectors - has been appointed to the L7 field decommissioning project.

The company has been chosen by TotalEnergies EP Nederland as the marine warranty surveyor for the decommissioning operations of the field in the Dutch sector of the North Sea.

The “L7 Restitution Project” includes the decommissioning of nine jackets and ten topside modules, including bridge structures from the L7 field. The total weight of the installations is approximately 17,500 tons, ABL Group said in its statement.

ABL noted it will provide marine warranty survey services for the preparations, lifted removals, transportation and relocation to the onshore dismantling yard located in Norway. ABL will also conduct suitability surveys of all the marine units that will be utilized for the project.

ABL will manage the project out of its office in Aberdeen, Scotland. It will be supported by its operations in the Netherlands and Norway. The group said it estimates its contract value to be approximately EUR 500,000 ($546,325).

“ABL Group has a long history in the oil and gas sector and vast experience with the challenges and important considerations that can impact decommissioning work. We are delighted to be partnering with TotalEnergies EP Nederland on the L7 project as part of our growing portfolio of work in this area,” says Ashley Perrett, ABL’s country manager in Scotland.

Planning work has already commenced, and offshore operations will occur throughout 2023 and 2024, the company’s statement reads. The installations will be removed using a floating sheerleg crane that will transfer cargo to a barge in sheltered waters near Den Helder, Holland, for onward transit to the dismantling yard located in Vats, Norway. AF Offshore Decom will manage the removal and recycling of the installations.

“Decommissioning of oil and gas fields is a complex task. As a non-productive cost, we fully appreciate the importance of identifying the correct solution to ensure cost-efficiency without compromising safety and quality,” says Nicholas Kaczynski, ABL Group’s project manager for the L7 decommissioning project.

The L7 field was one of the first major offshore gas fields on the Dutch continental shelf, ABL noted, adding that initial discovery occurred in the late 1960s and development of various reservoirs took place throughout the 1970s and 1980s. From 15 production wells the field produced over 21 billion cubic meters of natural gas (~140 Mboe) with a recovery factor of > 80 percent) ABL said. After 40 years of operation the facilities ceased production in 2017, ABL Group highlighted.

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