Petrodec’s newly constructed heavy lift jackup vessel, named “Obana,” has begun decommissioning work in the Southern North Sea for Perenco UK (PUK)’s Galahad platform. Obana is initially being deployed on Block 48/12a working on the Galahad platform, where the program includes topside and jacket removal. After Galahad, Obana will move to the Amethyst field for the removal of the C1D, A2D and B1D jackets, expected to be completed and offloaded in The Netherlands later this year.
Obana is the world’s largest self-elevating, heavy lift jackup vessel of its type. Following the completion of final trials, including its first offshore full platform lift, Obana has now started its commercial operations with PUK, before moving onto contracts with other operators.
Recently completed at the Damen Shipyard in Rotterdam, the six-legged Obana comprises 85% recycled steel and was engineered by merging two repurposed former drilling rigs, the Brage and Gabrus, with a newbuilt mid-section which was constructed in Dubai. Obana was built specifically to address complex and heavy decommissioning offshore work, in water depths of up to 65 m. It is equipped with a 2,000-tonne crane and has 3,800m² and up to 12,000 tonnes of deck capacity equipped with roller systems capable of rearranging components on deck, so that multiple modules can be removed in a single campaign. The design was a collaboration between Petrodec, Dixstone’s specialist decommissioning arm, and Singapore-based Seatrium Offshore Technology.
“The deployment of the state-of-the-art Petrodec Obana heavy lift jackup vessel to Galahad, and then to Amethyst, are further milestones in our ongoing decommissioning program,” said UK SNS Managing Director, Jo White. “Having already dismantled 26 offshore structures, we are committed to continuing our track record of effective and efficient decommissioning, exercising diligent stewardship of one of the largest networks of owned and operated gas assets in the UK North Sea.”
