Well-Safe awards contracts for rig upgrade into P&A unit

Well-Safe Solutions has awarded two multi-million-pound contracts to continue the refurbishment of the Well-Safe Guardian, the decommissioning company’s first asset, into a bespoke plug and abandonment unit.

Source: Global Energy

Well-Safe, which was launched in August 2017, agreed to acquire the Ocean Guardian semi-submersible drilling unit from Diamond Offshore back in April 2019. Well-Safe’s plan was to convert the rig into a plug and abandonment (P&A) unit.

Global Energy Group and Rigfit7seas have been appointed to deliver the upgrade of the semi-submersible drilling rig, Well-Safe said on Thursday.

Global Energy Group will provide quayside services and the paintwork scope while Rigfit7seas will provide accommodation upgrade services.

Well-Safe is progressing with the refurbishment work on the asset which it acquired earlier this summer. As part of the upgrade, Well-Safe will be installing a dive system and the capability to deploy a SIL (subsea intervention lubricator).

Phil Milton, Chief Executive Officer of Well-Safe Solutions, said: “The award of these contracts, within the timeframes we committed to, will ensure that this bespoke plug and abandonment asset will be available to the industry in 2020.”

Global Energy Group, who has been supporting Well-Safe with marine operations and quayside services since April this year, following the acquisition of the asset, has secured the contract to support the upgrades and life extension works at the Port of Nigg.

Stuart Paterson, Managing Director for Global Energy Group, Access & Coatings commented: “We are thrilled to have been awarded this contract to bring the flagship semi-submersible up to standard. Creating opportunity for additional employment, we expect to have in the region of 80 personnel engaged on various work scopes until the end of the year.

“Working in partnership with Well-Safe, Global Energy Group will provide fully encapsulated scaffold access, blast and paint services along with the provision of rope access personnel, mobile cranes, plant and labor, workboats and onsite facilities for the duration of the rigs yard stay at our Nigg Energy Park facility.”

Brian Knowles, Group Managing Director, Rigfit7seas said: “We are delighted that Well-Safe has chosen Rigfit7Seas to carry out this sizeable scope on their flagship project.”

Knowles added: “The project award further enhances our already extensive offering in the international marketplace and, at peak, will secure around 50 jobs across our engineering and construction teams for approximately 100 days, starting immediately.”

Milton added: “We believe we are now a key part of helping the industry achieve its 35% decommissioning cost reduction target. Joint well plug and abandonment campaigns, using our club approach will not only be more cost efficient, but also help build UK supply chain expertise in decommissioning.”

Research has indicated there are over 33,000 wells worldwide to be decommissioned over the next twenty years. Well-Safe’s long-term goal is to export their model and advance from the UK into this global marketplace.


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