PHOTO: Heerema loads out Montrose BLP topsides

Talisman Sinopec, an oil and gas exploration and production company, has informed that the topside for its Montrose bridge-linked platform (BLP) has been loaded on Heerema’s barge. 

According to Talisman Sinopec, the 10,500 tons Montrose BLP topside was loaded on the barge at the Zwijndrecht yard in The Netherlands.

Heerema Fabrication Group’s Zwijndrecht yard started the construction of the integrated production Montrose BLP topsides in March 2013. At the time, the topside was planned to be completed for load out in April 2015.

The topside is meant for Montrose Area Redevelopment (MAR) project, located in the UK North Sea, where Talisman Sinopec Energy UK is the operator with a working interest of 58.97%, and Marubeni Oil & Gas (U.K.) is its sole partner.

MAR is a project that sees the significant modification and expansion of the existing Montrose Area infrastructure including the development of three new fields: Godwin, Cayley and Shaw. The new BLP will be connected to the Montrose Alpha platform – one of the oldest in the North Sea – to provide additional process and plant support facilities.

The Godwin Field has already been developed via an extended reach well from the Arbroath platform. The Cayley and Shaw fields are being developed as subsea tie-backs to the BLP. As well as developing the new fields, the MAR project is expected to extend the life of the existing Montrose Area fields by at least 13 years, to beyond 2030, Talisman Sinopec said.

Production from Shaw and Cayley is expected to start in 2017, with gross incremental production peaking at up to 40,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day.

Prosafe’s semi-submersible accommodation rig Safe Boreas recently started operating on the Montrose Area Redevelopment project under an eight-month contract, plus options.

Offshore Energy Today Staff