TotalEnergies EP Nederland has appointed ABL Group (ABL) as marine warranty surveyor for the decommissioning operations of the L7 field in the Dutch sector of the North Sea.

The "L7 Restitution Project" includes the decommissioning of nine jackets and ten topside modules, including bridge structures from the L7 field. The total weight of the installations is approximately 17,500 tonnes.

ABL will provide marine warranty survey services for the preparations, lifted removals, transportation and relocation to the onshore dismantling yard located in Norway. ABL will also conduct suitability surveys of all the marine units that will be utilised for the project.

ABL will manage the project out of its office in Aberdeen, Scotland. It will be supported by ABL's operations in the Netherlands and Norway. ABL estimates its contract value to be approximately EUR 500,000.

Ashley Perrett, ABL's country manager in Scotland:
"ABL Group has a long history in the oil and gas sector and vast experience with the challenges and important considerations that can impact decommissioning work. We are delighted to be partnering with TotalEnergies EP Nederland on the L7 project as part of our growing portfolio of work in this area."

Planning work has already commenced, and offshore operations will occur throughout 2023 and 2024. The installations will be removed using a floating sheerleg crane that will transfer cargo to a barge in sheltered waters near Den Helder, Holland, for onward transit to the dismantling yard located in Vats, Norway. AF Offshore Decom will manage the removal and recycling of the installations.

"Decommissioning of oil and gas fields is a complex task. As a non-productive cost, we fully appreciate the importance of identifying the correct solution to ensure cost-efficiency without compromising safety and quality," says Nicholas Kaczynski, ABL Group's project manager for the L7 decommissioning project.

The L7 field was one of the first major offshore gas fields on the Dutch continental shelf. Initial discovery occurred in the late 1960s and development of various reservoirs took place throughout the 1970s and 1980s. From 15 production wells the field produced over 21 billion m3 of natural gas (~140 Mboe) with a recovery factor of > 80%). After 40 years of operation the facilities ceased production in 2017.

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