Brent Bravo Arrives at Able Seaton Port

The giant 25,000-metric-ton Brent Bravo oil platform topsides arrived at Able Seaton Port in preparation for its dismantling and recycling, said Peter Stephenson, founder and Executive Chairman of Able UK.

The Brent Bravo, which stands 410 feet tall and 230 feet wide, is the second platform from the Shell Brent field to be decommissioned at Able Seaton Port—the first, the Brent Delta, arrived in May 2017. Both were transported from northeast of Shetland by the Allseas vessel Pioneering Spirit, one of the largest vessels ever built.

After arriving off the North East coast, the Brent Bravo was transferred to a 200-meter-long barge, the Iron Lady, for the final part of the journey to Able Seaton Port where it is currently moored on Quay 6. Next week the final manuever will see the platform ‘skidded’ on to the multimillion-dollar demolition pad which forms part of what is probably the strongest quay in Europe.

“The Brent decommissioning project is the most significant project of its type to date and the fact that Able was selected against an initial longlist of 131 potential disposal yards demonstrates the reputation we have established through our long track record of working with many of the world’s major offshore energy companies,” Stephenson said.

“As with the Brent Delta, this operation has involved one of the heaviest lifts ever undertaken and is a success for everyone involved, especially our partners Shell and Allseas.

“Once again the Brent Bravo will provide a spectacular addition to the Teesside skyline for some time as we undertake the decommissioning program with the aim of recycling over 98 percent of the structure.”

Able invested £28 million ($35.6 million) in constructing this new facility, including one of the strongest quays in Europe, to meet the requirements for handling the Brent platforms—and putting the company at the forefront of the growing demand for decommissioning platforms as they come to the end of their operational lives.

During 2020 Able Seaton Port will welcome a number of other new large-scale projects including the next element of the Shell project – the Brent Alpha – as well a series of platforms and structures from the ExxonMobil operated Sable Offshore Energy Project (SOEP) off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada.