Pioneering Spirit’s single-lift technology will be used to remove two disused gas production platforms from the East Irish Sea. Final preparations for Spirit Energy’s DP3 and DP4 installations are underway in Morecambe Bay where the world’s largest construction vessel will operate in just 22 m water depth to pull out the two 11,000 tonne platforms and transport to shore for recycling.

This is Pioneering Spirit’s first lift assignment outside the North Sea. Working just 40 km off the coast of Blackpool, northwest England, the strong currents and shallow depths will provide a very different challenge for the vessel’s single-lift capability.

Ongoing preparations include the cutting and removal of risers, caissons and conductors, cutting the platforms’ steel legs, strengthening the topsides and installing made-to-measure lift points. The job includes extensive subsea activities, such as the removal of mattresses, spools, cables and umbilicals, requiring more than 180 separate lifts by our construction support vessel Oceanic.

About Allseas

Allseas Group S.A. is a world-leading contractor in offshore pipeline installation, heavy lift and subsea construction. The company operates a versatile fleet of specialised heavy-lift, pipelay and support vessels, designed and developed in-house.

About Spirit Energy

Spirit Energy was created in 2017 following the combination of Centrica’s Exploration & Production business and Bayerngas Norge AS. The business is 69%-owned by Centrica plc, with the remaining 31% owned by Bayerngas Norge’s former shareholders, led by Stadtwerke München and Bayerngas GmbH.

The independent company was formed to combine a complementary mix of producing and development assets, and creates a robust, self-financing business to allow both organic and inorganic growth.