Taqa is preparing a lucrative contract for work on one of its major North Sea decommissioning campaigns.
Later this year the Abu Dhabi-headquartered national oil company will tender a deal for the Brae Alpha engineering, preparation, removal and disposal (EPRD) project.
Worth in excess of £25 million, the contract is expected to land on August 31, according to the Oil and Gas Authority’s project pathfinder database.
The earliest removal date for the Brae Alpha platform, located in the central North Sea, is 2025, while the latest is 2028.
As it stands the topside and jacket, which weigh in at 33,800 tonnes and 20,000 tonnes respectively, will be recycled.
The Brae Alpha platform is one of the oldest in the North Sea, having started up production in 1983.
Marathon Oil was the original licensee of the Brae area, situated around 170 miles north-east of Aberdeen.
Cormorant Alpha
Taqa recently received formal approval from the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment & Decommissioning (OPRED) for its plans to decommission the Cormorant Alpha topsides.
Work is expected to begin in 2026 at the earliest.
The platform lies in Block 211/26 of the northern North Sea, around 64 miles north east of Shetland.
TAQA acquired the asset from Shell in 2008.
Fujairah Oil and Gas
Energy Voice revealed last year that Fujairah Oil and Gas, which bought stakes in the Brae Area for just 75pence in 2020, had defaulted on its decommissioning liability.
Its share of the costs is expected to land on Taqa and its operating partners.
According to court documents from 2020, the overall bill for decommissioning the Greater Brae Area is forecasted to be in the region of $1.8 billion.
In December 2020, Fujairah, controlled by the namesake emirate of the UAE, bought the stakes of Viaro Energy in the region for $1 (75p).
Recommended for you
