North Sea platform reaches recycling yard

After 30 years in the North Sea, Equinor’s Veslefrikk B platform has now reached a yard in Denmark where it will be dismantled and recycled.

The Veslefrikk field is located in the North Sea offshore Norway and it was developed with the Veslefrikk B semi-submersible production platform, complete with accommodation and process equipment, which is tied to the fixed wellhead platform Veslefrikk A.

Following 30 years of production and in preparation for decommissioning activities, the field was shut down in February 2022.

After its removal from the field, the Veslefrikk B platform arrived at the quayside of Modern American Recycling Services Europe (M.A.R.S.) in the Port of Frederikshavn on 31 August 2022 for its retirement. This was announced by M.A.R.S. in a social media post on Friday as well as Port of Frederikshavn.

The yard secured the contract for the deconstruction and recycling of the platform in July 2021. It is expected that, at its peak, the work will employ around 60 people.

The platform, which has a total weight of approximately 26,000 tonnes was originally built as a drilling rig but was later converted to a production platform. The platform started production in 1989 and it was Equinor’s first floating production unit.

M.A.R.S. added that it will recycle the platform in compliance with international, national, and local rules and regulations in the next couple of years.

When it comes to the Veslefrikk A, it is scheduled to be removed in 2025/26 by Aker Solutions under a contract confirmed in December 2021.