Allseas has booked more work for Pioneering Spirit, the world’s largest construction vessel, in the UK northern sea. The vessel, with its single-lift technology, has been contracted by EnQuest for the removal of Heather Alpha platform topsides. 

The UK oil and gas company has awarded Allseas the engineering, preparation, removal and disposal contract for the near 13,000-tonne topsides. The award follows an intensive period of evaluation, negotiation, and clarification.

Heather is a fully integrated offshore installation consisting of modular topsides and piled steel jacket, located approximately 460 km northeast of Aberdeen in a water depth of 143 m. It is a fixed installation providing manned production, drilling, and utilities facilities.

Preparations will begin next year with the lift itself scheduled for 2025.

EnQuest filed its decommissioning programme for the Heather Alpha platform topsides to the UK’s authorities in April 2021. The plan was approved in July of the same year.