Energean UK has recently awarded the contract for seabed surveys following the decommissioning of the Wenlock, Garrow, and Kilmar gas fields to the Swedish company Njord Survey. These surveys are intended to assess the seabed condition after the removal of platforms and marine infrastructure, and the results will be compared with pre-decommissioning surveys. This data will be part of Energean's final report to the regulatory authority for these three fields.
Contract Details and Activities
The activities carried out in this project include pipeline routes and previous platform locations. The surveys will involve the use of multi-beam echo sounders and side-scan sonars, environmental sampling, data analysis, and filming and photographing the seabed. The Garrow and Kilmar fields and their associated pipelines are located in a protected area of the North Sea, which is an important habitat for harbor dolphins.
Reducing Environmental Impacts and Project Importance
Njord Survey will utilize its vessels, survey equipment, and full-time staff for this project. The company claims that their vessels, designed for geophysical surveys, environmental sampling, and working with light ROVs, can reduce up to 90% of the CO₂ emissions equivalent of the project. This clearly demonstrates Njord Survey's commitment to environmental preservation and reducing environmental impacts.
Andrew Shepard, Head of Decommissioning at Energean UK, emphasized that the company wants to convincingly demonstrate that the seabed remains clean and free of long-term impacts on the marine environment after decommissioning operations. He states: "Decommissioning operations are only complete when it is proven that the seabed is clean, and this evidence must be acceptable to the regulatory authority."
Martin Vikmar, CEO of Njord Survey, also stated: "The UK is our largest market, and this contract is an important step for us in the North Sea decommissioning sector. This collaboration demonstrates our ability to provide optimal and sustainable services in this area."
