Delmar deploys ‘UK-first’ tech at Shell Penguins field as firm moves into new Aberdeen base

Technology originally used to help vessels avoid icebergs and cyclones has been deployed in a “UK first” to cut costs and emissions at the Shell Penguins field in the North Sea.

The rig anchor tech deployment from Delmar Systems comes as the company moves into larger offices in Aberdeen to accommodate workforce growth.

Last week the firm used its specialised “RAR Plus” rig anchor release tech at the Penguins redevelopment project, Shell’s latest in the North Sea.

The technology acoustically releases rigs from mooring lines  – saving time and major costs for expensive drilling rig day rates.

© Supplied by Delmar Systems

Though contract values cannot be disclosed, Delmar estimates its tech typically cuts disconnect time from 24 hours to one hour – which shaves into the roughly £200,000 per day typical day rate for rigs in the North Sea.

It also slashes rig move time for anchor handling vessels – each requiring around £150,000 per day.

Overall, the company estimates a 45% saving on a typical job to move a rig using the RAR Plus, versus typical methods.

Delmar used the tech last week, a first for the UK, on the Diamond Offshore Ocean Endeavour vessel, as it moved between the Pan West and Tybalt wells at the Shell Penguins field.

New Digs

Delmar said the anchor system allows rigs to move quickly in all weather windows, and has a mechanical back up release option to provide full redundancy.

UK general manager Duncan Watson said: “The RAR Plus device in Delmar’s Releasable Mooring System has proven successful over 500 times across the globe, saving our customers operational time, money and CO2 emissions.

“With increased drilling and Plug and Abandonment (P&A) activity, we believe Delmar is ideally positioned to support many of our North Sea customers to reduce operational expenditure. This was confirmed at our recent Open Day which has generated a very encouraging level of enquiries.”

Delmar Systems, headquartered in Houston, has announced the deployment as it moves into new offices in Aberdeen to accommodate growth.

© Supplied by Shell

The business has taken up space at a new site in Altens Industrial Estate, having grown from nine to 12 full time employees in the last year and widened its contractor pool to support offshore operations.

A spokesman said: “Now that we have launched RAR Plus in the UK, we believe there will be a very healthy level of interest in the marketplace and so we have moved to new larger premises in Aberdeen which will accommodate further growth.”

Penguins

The Penguins redevelopment is due to have the first new manned vessel from Shell in the UK North Sea for 30 years.

Despite delays in the timeline due to lockdown measures in China, Shell chief financial officer Sinead Gorman told Energy Voice in May that work was “progressing well”.

It’s believed sailaway of the floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) is targeted for a Q3 sailaway.

The project is a redevelopment of a tie-back field to the Brent Charlie hub, which Shell said is expected to unlock 80 million barrels of oil equivalent when it announced an investment decision in 2018.