Statoil has finalized the signing of a contract with Allseas regarding the installation of three platform topsides on the Johan Sverdrup field. The vessel is to install the topsides for the purposes of the drilling, processing and living quarter platforms.
Allseas is to transfer the topsides to Pioneering Spirit after which they will be transported to the Johan Sverdrup field where Pioneering Spirit is going to install them upon the steel jackets.
If all goes as initially scheduled the drilling platform topsides are going to be incorporated in 2018, and the processing and living quarter topsides are to follow in 2019.
The lifting capacity of the vessel amounts to 48,000 tons. The heaviest lift is going to be performed during the installation phase of the processing platform topside which has an approximate weight of 26,000 tons.
After having assembled the topsides onshore they are going to be transported offshore to complete the installation process. Thus the appointed teams will be able to do a larger portion of the completion and testing works of the topsides onshore. Which also will cut down on the amount of offshore man-hours required, thus reducing time as well as costs.
Pioneering Spirit was built in South Korea and is now being completed in Rotterdam.
The above-mentioned contract award is subject to the Norwegian parliament’s approval of the plan regarding the Johan Sverdrup field’s development and operation in the year 2015.