Lerwick, having made its name in the offshore industry as a major hub servicing especially the East Shetland Basin, is increasingly looking to the West of Shetland sector for growth opportunities from a gradually growing population of oil and gas developments.
The sight of a giant crane barge in the port is nothing new, but the presence of Thialf, currently the world’s largest ocean-going crane vessel, this summer marks 2013 as something of a special year as the pace of Atlantic Frontier activity especially quickens.
Thialf was there during its deployment on BP’s Clair Ridge development, where development is ongoing to 2016.
Projects also supported out of Lerwick include BP’s Quad 204 (Schiehallion/Loyal) redevelopment, Total’s Laggan-Tormore and Premier’s Solan field, with final work in the spring on a subsea storage facility before it is towed to the field.
This month will see the arrival at Lerwick of the last of modular units, weighing up to 450 tonnes, for onward transfer by sea and road to the Shetland Gas Plant, under construction east of the Sullom Voe oil terminal to receive output from Laggan-Tormore in 2014.
While Lerwick has provided berths for single floating accommodation units in the past, this year has seen the remarkable sight of three berthed simultaneously and another due soon.
The flotel foursome is providing a home-from-home for construction workers at the Shetland Gas Plant.
They are also another demonstration of the versatility of the port’s facilities and the capacity to accommodate such units while continuing to deliver the requirements of its many and varied users.
The port authority has invested over £83million since the 1970s, much of it directed at the offshore industry, Lerwick now offers almost 4,000m of quayside, including over 1,300m of deep-water berthing.
The latest development, completed in late-November, added another 100-metre quay at Greenhead Base, extending a new 100m-plus quay operational in February 2012.
Dredged to nine metres, the two quays cost £7.6million, expanding a facility which is a focal point of offshore activity.
With Lerwick Port Authority now considering its next quay development projects, work is already under way to create three new lay-down areas providing a further 45,000sq.m of land to help meet demand as part of planning for additional capacity.
LPA CEO Sandra Laurenson said: “The ongoing development of infrastructure, the use of the port by larger vessels and the increase in traffic is a realisation of the potential of the major dredging and land reclamation project completed in 2008.
“The improved access and expanded facilities have been a key factor in supporting activity, including West of Shetland.
“The potential ongoing involvement there extends well into the future, given the lifetime of fields and Lerwick’s established role as a leading centre for decommissioning.”
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