Mermaid awarded multi-year North Sea decommissioning contract by Shell

Mermaid Subsea Services (UK) Ltd has been awarded a multi-year Engineering, Preparation, Removal and Disposal (EPRD) Well Head Severance (WHS) contract by Shell UK Ltd in the North Sea.

The decommissioning project is to be carried out in three annual batches with the first one scheduled to begin later this year. As part of the campaign, Mermaid will leverage key stakeholders across the supply chain to offer a bespoke, vessel-based, WHS solution.

Scott Cormack, Regional Director for Mermaid Subsea Services (UK), said: “This a milestone contract for Mermaid and we are very grateful to Shell for putting their faith in our team. We look forward to kicking off work this year.

“The North Sea is on the cusp of a multi-decade decommissioning boom and Mermaid plans to be front and centre of that with our bespoke solutions and leading expertise.”

The initial 2024 campaign includes removing well head protection covers from the sea floor, before lifting them to the surface for transportation onshore.

This will be followed by the retrieval of the well head flow base structures using specialist tooling.

The final campaign will cover well head severance and recovery operations, during which Mermaid will use bespoke underwater cutting tooling and techniques.

Following the completion of each stage of the project there will be a requirement for debris clearance, as well as seabed and over trawl surveys where necessary. All recovered materials from the structures will be managed to maximise the amount that can be reused or recycled.

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