Talisman to Remove Yme Platform in Summer 2014 (Norway)

Talisman Energy, a Canadian oil and gas company with operations worldwide, has set a deadline for the removal of the troublesome Yme platform from the Norwegian part of the North Sea, Reuters has reported.

The platform has been sitting unmanned in the Norwegian part of the North Sea since mid-July, 2012, when Talisman decided to evacuate the personnel due to cracks found in the platform’s legs. After the evacuation, Talisman sent a letter to the Norwegian authorities claiming there was a threat of the platform collapsing into the sea.

According to the news agency, the spokesperson of the company said that Talisman expects to remove the platform in late summer next year, and hopes to submit another field development plan to the Norwegian authorities by the first half 2015.

SBM Offshore, a Dutch company that delivered the Yme MOPUstor to Talisman, recently said it would provide $200 million for the decommissioning costs.

Asked about the possibility of the platform being redeployed somewhere else, the Dutch company said that was not an option. The company representatives said that the decision to scrap the platform was not easy, but it would provide stability for the company’s future projects.

SBM Offshore will manage the transportation and ultimate scrapping of the facility.

MOPUstor

The MOPUstor concept, developed by GustoMSC, provides a solution for short life oil fields without direct access to pipeline infrastructure in water depths and environment not suitable for an FPSO. This MOPUstor concept consists of a steel storage tank supported directly on the sea bed, three (or four) tubular legs, firmly connected to the storage tank, a barge type platform deck that can be jacked along the legs and a jacking system.