TAQA Group completes topside removal of Brae Bravo in one of the North Sea’s largest decommissioning projects

The topside removal is one of the final stages in the decommissioning of this iconic platform

Over 36,000 tonnes of material removed and will be recycled over the coming 18 months

Aberdeen: Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (TAQA), one of the largest listed integrated utility companies in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, today announced it has completed the topside removal of the Brae Bravo platform.

This marked the completion of two successful ground-breaking campaigns with HAF, the Heerema Marine Contractor and AF Offshore Decom (AFOD) consortium contracted to complete the Brae Bravo removal and disposal scopes.

The topside removal was completed by two of the world’s largest semi-submersible crane vessels, Thialf and Sleipnir. At its peak, up to 500 people worked on the project totalling nearly 400,000 man-hours without any major incidents recorded.

Campaign 1, executed from the Thialf, prepared the platform for removal and removed the cranes and helideck. During these activities, Sleipnir simultaneously completed the removal of the Brae Bravo flare tower, bridge and jacket marking the first time these two semi-submersible crane vessels converged in the North Sea. Campaign 2 saw the return of the Sleipnir to remove the remaining modules and transport them to the dismantling yard.

The 36,000 tonne structure was sent to the AFOD Environmental Base in Vats, Norway, and is now being processed with the aim of reusing or recycling 95% or more of the material.

Commenting on this significant milestone, Donald Taylor, TAQA Managing Director for Europe, said: “The Brae Bravo decommissioning project is a landmark moment for both TAQA and the North Sea offshore industry. The scale of this engineering feat cannot be overstated. Despite the challenges faced by the on and offshore team of the COVID-19 pandemic, this was completed on schedule and without any major incidents recorded – highlighting our commitment to health and safety.

“Decommissioning and late-life management of offshore assets will play a major role in our journey to a lower carbon future, and Brae Bravo will be the blueprint for all future TAQA decommissioning programmes in the North Sea.”

Over its 33-year lifetime, Brae Bravo produced more than 500 million barrels of oil equivalent and is widely recognised within industry as an iconic asset in the pioneering Brae fields.

The only remaining visible element of Brae Bravo is the top of the jacket above the sea surface. A dedicated navigational aid has been installed on the remaining structure and a 500-metre safety zone will remain in place until the jacket is decommissioned is in 2022.