Boskalis Completes UKCS PIpeline Job
Aberdeen-based Boskalis Subsea Services has completed a multi-million-pound contract for French producer Perenco, it said August 31. The contract was to support a pipeline project in the UK’s southern North Sea basin. It said its state-of-the-art vessels were well equipped to support the many challenges and tasks associated with inspection, repair and maintenance campaigns in both shallow and deepwater.
The Boka Da Vinci vessel (pictured) was used to replaced a 29-metre section of pipeline, 75 km offshore Lincolnshire. The line delivers hydrocarbons from the NW Bell field to the Bessemer Platform. The hydrocarbons are then delivered to the Bacton gas terminal in Norfolk via the Inde Field for processing and then into the UK or continental gas grid.
Boskalis said that this was its first "saturation diving project" and that winning the contract for such a high priority pipeline project was testament to its "growing reputation for being nimble and successfully delivering safe, integrated, cost-effective services."
The southern sector of the North Sea is a "highly tidal region with relatively shallow water depths resulting in narrow windows of opportunity for carrying out subsea remedial work," it said. As well as installations and repairs, it was also able to carry out decommissioning operations.
The Boka Da Vinci has two diving bells that can work at up to 300 metres and it can accommodate up to 120 people. It also has a 140t active heave compensated main crane, and 1,120m3 of available main deck space with a load capacity of 3,300 mt.
The work was supported by personnel from IKM Testing to carry out barrier testing and flushing services, and specialists from Claxton Engineering to prepare, cut and remove the existing steel pipe
Dutch Boskalis reported August 20 pretax earnings (Ebitda) of €204 ($243)mn for the first half and expects to match 2019 Ebitda this year. It has restarted its share buy-back programme. It said it "had a very good operational first half year considering the circumstances. The operating result increased sharply compared to last year with revenue at virtually the same level." This year's first-half revenue was €1.26bn, down €10mn from last year. However it booked a non-cash impairment of about €150mn, owing to Covid-19.