PHOTO: North Sea platform withstands the test of time

German crude oil and natural gas producer Wintershall has shared a story about its K13-A platform celebrating 40 years of operation on the Dutch continental shelf.

What makes this anniversary special is the fact that the platform was originally intended to be used for approximately 20 years.

Wintershall’s oldest active platform was installed in the K13 sector of the Dutch North Sea in 1974. This means the platform has now doubled its projected life span.

The fields on the K13-licence have been shut in since the life expectancy of a gas reservoir is around 15 to 20 years on average.

The reason why the K13-A platform is still being used is because it is an integral part of the 130 kilometres long WestGasTransport-pipeline, laid and trenched in 1975 by Oceanic Contractors, and today operated by Wintershall.

Offshore Energy Today Staff