With platform topside ready for sail-away, North Sea gas project edges closer to start-up (Gallery)

August 13, 2026, by Melisa Cavcic

Netherlands-based heavy lifting and transport provider Mammoet has assisted Aibel, which is responsible for the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of a topside segment of an unmanned processing platform to be deployed at a gas development in the Norwegian North Sea, with critical heavy-lift and marine activities for the project.

Mammoet has confirmed the completion of the Munin project deliveries to Aibel, which is responsible for the EPC delivery of the Munin topside for Aker BP‘s Yggdrasil development in the North Sea on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). Topsides construction has taken place at Aibel’s yard in Haugesund, complemented by module and section deliveries from the firm’s yard in Thailand.

After the Dutch firm was contracted in late 2023 to support the execution of heavy lift and marine activities for the Munin topsides, the most significant work scope entailed a site move of the utility module from the fabrication site in Thailand to the nearby quayside, followed by load-out onto a marine transport vessel for shipment to Haugesund.

In addition, it covered the load-in of the module and sections from the marine transport vessel following its arrival in Haugesund and the site move of the fully assembled Munin topsides from the quayside and load-out onto the transportation barge before sail-away from the site. Mammoet claims that operations in Thailand and Haugesund were complex and required careful planning and execution.

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The company mobilized highly specialized equipment and personnel in Thailand and Haugesund and executed what it describes as a complex transshipment operation at the second location, where shallow water conditions at the quayside necessitated transfer to a smaller barge before load-in to the quayside, and subsequent site move inside Aibel’s assembly hall.

“Challenging winter weather and demanding positioning tolerances for final installation and mating of the Utility module with the Munin process module in Aibel’s assembly hall presented significant operational challenges that were successfully managed by both Aibel and Mammoet,” emphasized the Netherlands-based heavy lifting and transport provider.

The completed topside was weighed and prepared for load-out in July 2026. Following confirmation of its final weight and center of gravity, the topside was loaded out onto the topside transportation barge, said to be a Class 1 operation, performed within a narrow tidal window that required meticulous planning and coordination.

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“Close collaboration between Aibel and Mammoet has been a key contributor to the successful execution of these activities. Through the provision of specialized equipment, technical expertise and experienced personnel, Mammoet has contributed to Aibel’s safe and successful delivery of the Munin topsides that is now ready for offshore sailaway from Haugesund,” added the Dutch player.

Aker BP reported recently that Rakel Bjerga, Automation Apprentice, had the honour of cutting the ceremonial mooring line, marking the Munin topside’s readiness for its journey to the Yggdrasil area in the North Sea. Guests gathered at the yard in Haugesund to celebrate the milestone.

The 9,000-tonne topside was built in Haugesund, supported by deliveries from Aibel’s yard in Thailand, while engineering was carried out in Asker and Singapore. Aker BP and its partners, Equinor and PGNiG Upstream Norway, made a final investment decision (FID) to develop the Yggdrasil area in December 2022 and submitted plans for development and operation (PDOs) to the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy.

The first steel for the Munin platform was cut at Aibel’s yard in Thailand in November 2023. A 2,900-ton utility module for Munin was ready for sail-away in October 2024. The Munin jacket was loaded onto the barge last year at Heerema Fabrication Group in Vlissingen, Netherlands.

Aker BP describes Yggdrasil as the largest ongoing development on the NCS, which is powered by tens of thousands of people across Norway and the world. The project is perceived to be moving forward according to plan, on track for first production in 2027.

“Munin is more than a platform. As an unmanned processing platform, it represents a new way of operating offshore assets. Together with the rest of the Yggdrasil area, it will be remotely operated from shore through an integrated operations centre in Stavanger, enabled by digital solutions and new technology,” highlighted the Norwegian operator.