Allseas' Pioneering Spirit Removes Ninian Topsides in Final Decom Gig of 2020
Allseas' colossal Pioneering Spirit offshore construction - or in this case "deconstruction - vessel has removed the Ninian Northern platform topsides in the UK North Sea.
Located in the North Sea, 160 kilometers northeast of the Shetland Islands, the CNR International-operated (CNRI) Ninian Northern platform comprised topsides modules for drilling, production, and accommodation, supported by an eight-legged jacket standing in 140 m water depth.
The 14,200-tonne Ninian Northern topsides removal marks Allseas giant catamaran's final decommissioning job of 2020, having previously removed the Brent Alpha, and the Tyra topsides in the UK, and Denmark, respectively.
The Ninian Northern topsides lifting operation took place Friday morning, and it lasted around two hours from connecting the vessel’s lifting beams to the platform to the lift. The actual "fast lift" of the Ninian Northern topsides took seven seconds.
The twin-hulled, 382 meters long Pioneering Spirit will now deliver the topsides to the Peterson-Veolia yard in Dales Voe, Shetland, for disposal. According to Allseas, the facility will target over a 97% reuse/recycle ratio and create a number of jobs over the period the topsides is dismantled.
After transfer and load-in of the Ninian Northern topsides at Dales Voe, the vessel will sail to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, for Jacket lift system installation works and to prepare for upcoming projects.
Worth noting, while the Pioneering Spirit is done with the topsides removals for the season, the vessel will return to the Ninian field in the summer of 2022 to remove the supporting jacket structure.