The Clair Ridge Drilling & Production jacket of 23 000 tonnes – the biggest jacket ever built by the Norwegian Kvaerner yard yesterday left Verdal and is now on tow to its location west of the Shetland Islands.
The jacket’s footprint on the seabed is 85 x 68 metres.
With the delivery of the two Clair Ridge jackets, the yard has delivered 39 jackets over the last 41 years. The jacket is built for BP and Normand Atlantic vessel is towing the barge with the jacket, as part of a job chartered by Heerema.
In October 2011, BP and its co-ventures ConocoPhillips, Chevron and Shell received approval from the UK government to proceed with the second phase of development of the giant Clair field.
BP has described Clair Ridge as its most significant current project on the UK continental shelf. It will be developed around the latest technologies to enhance oil recovery and improve operating efficiency. The two new platforms are scheduled to be installed in 2015 with production expected to begin in 2016. The new development will have potential peak production of up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day.