Spirit Energy Ltd. removed the former DP3 gas production topsides from the Morecambe Bay development in the East Irish Sea using the Pioneering Spirit heavy-lift vessel. The 5,450-tonne installation will be delivered to a new disposal and recycling facility at Fife Energy Park, Scotland, where it will be reunited with the previously removed 5,400-tonne DP4 structure.
Spirit contracted Allseas Group S.A., owner of Pioneering Spirit, for engineering, preparation, removal, and disposal of two 11,000-tonne normally unmanned installations (NUMIs) and 1,000 tonnes of connected subsea infrastructure. The latter, including wellheads, pipelines, and umbilicals, was removed by Allseas’ construction support vessel Oceanic in about 180 lifts.
Pioneering Spirit will return to Morecambe Bay to remove the DP3 and DP4 supporting jackets in 2023.
The Morecambe Hub comprises three fields in the East Irish Sea; North Morecambe, South Morecambe, and Rhyl. The fields lie about 25 km southwest of Walney Island, across Blocks 110/2a, 110/3a, 110/8a, and 113/27b, in water depths that range from 17 to 35 m.
Spirit Energy is operator at Morecambe (100%).