DeepOcean will remove ten flexible process risers and three dynamic subsea umbilicals from the location
DeepOcean, a global ocean services provider, has entered into an agreement to support bp in the decommissioning and recycling of subsea equipment at the operator’s Foinaven field, West of Shetland, UK
DeepOcean will remove ten flexible process risers and three dynamic subsea umbilicals from the former Foinaven FPSO location. The company will also recover a static umbilical and remove varying amounts of buoyancy, riser protection, clamps, and other appurtenances associated with each riser.
DeepOcean will provide engineering, project management, and offshore execution for the project, which will be managed and executed by DeepOcean’s Aberdeen-based operation in the UK. The offshore scope will be conducted using a high-specification subsea construction vessel operated by DeepOcean.
This is the second time DeepOcean and bp have entered into a sale and purchase agreement governing the delivery of the project. DeepOcean previously successfully conducted decommissioning work for bp at the Don and Miller fields under a similar commercial model.
Øyvind Mikaelsen, CEO of DeepOcean, said, “We greatly appreciate the opportunity to support bp in another important decommissioning scope on the UKCS. This award reflects a progressive and commercially innovative approach to subsea decommissioning. By building on the successful model previously implemented with bp at the Miller and Don fields, we have established a robust framework that delivers greater efficiency, cost optimisation, and operational flexibility for both parties.”
Foinavan was discovered in 1992, with its first oil in 1997. The field is 190km west of the Shetland Islands within the Faroes/Shetland Trough, in water depths ranging from 330 to 530m. Before the FPSO was taken off-station in 2021, the Foinaven asset produced 440 million barrels of oil.
Robin Mawhinney, executive vice president for DeepOcean’s EMEA region, said, “Decommissioning has traditionally been viewed primarily as a cost exercise. At DeepOcean, we see it as an opportunity to apply engineering, technology, and commercial flexibility to improve project outcomes and recover value for our clients.”
