Energy infrastructure manager px Group has secured a multi-year contract to operate the SEAL pipeline, which brings gas ashore from the central North Sea.
The Shearwater Elgin Area Line (SEAL) is 474km (295 miles) long with a diameter of 34 inches and has been operational for more than 20 years.
The contract was awarded to Energy24, a business within px Group, by TotalEnergies’ UK E&P arm, with the firm taking over operations as of 1 August this year. The value of the award was not disclosed.
The SEAL pipeline transports sales quality gas from the TotalEnergies-operated Elgin-Franklin platform in the central the North Sea to the dedicated SEAL module at the Bacton gas terminal on the Norfolk coast.
In securing its latest contract, px now claims responsibility for managing commercial operations of approximately 40% of the UK gas supply.
Its infrastructure portfolio now includes the St Fergus Gas Terminal in Scotland, the Teesside Gas Processing Plant in England, and the Risavika Liquefaction Plant in Norway, which are all operated and maintained by px Group on behalf of asset owner North Sea Midstream Partners.
The SEAL award covers 24/7 operations of the pipeline, including commercial operations, pipeline monitoring, shipper services, hydrocarbon allocation and accounting, continuous improvement and project management.
px said it will also use new cloud-based technology to assist in managing the asset, alongside the recruitment and training of a full complement of shift personnel along with the project management of building, testing and operating the new control infrastructure.
Chief executive Geoff Holmes said: “We are excited to take on yet another critical UK energy asset. Now more than ever the UK needs safe, reliable and secure sources of energy, and we are thrilled that TotalEnergies has trusted our team to take on that responsibility on the SEAL pipeline.”
Mr Holmes said the group took “enormous pride” in taking on the operational ownership of essential energy assets.
“We apply our ‘owner-operator’ approach to everything we do for our clients, which means we treat the assets as if they were our own, ensuring they’re being run as safely, effectively and efficiently as possible.”
The announcement follows the launch of another business unit within the group last month. px Energy Solutions intends to leverage design, engineering, operations, maintenance, digital and energy trading teams to provide “one full service” aimed at improving efficiency while reducing clients’ carbon footprint.
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