Project Profile
Location: Southern North Sea
Water Depth: 40.6m
Exploration start-up: 1967
Production start-up: 2005
The Horne & Wren installation and pipeline is located in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) in Blocks 53/03, 53/04 and 49/28 of Southern North Sea, approximately 65 km east of the nearest UK landfall and approximately 38 km from the UK / Netherlands trans-boundary line. The Horne and Wren fields lie in and straddle Blocks 53/03 and 53/04. The Wissey field is located in Block 53/04 and is approximately 10 km east of the Horne & Wren platform. The Orwell field is located in Block 50/26a and lies approximately 100 km east of the nearest landfall in Norfolk and 35 km west of the Thames Area Complex. The Horne & Wren, Wissey and Orwell fields produced gas which was flowed through the Thames Area Complex and then exported to the Bacton Gas terminal in Norfolk.
In October 2015, DECC on behalf of the Secretary of State approved the final Decommissioning Programmes for the Horne & Wren platform, Wissey and Orwell subsea installations and the connecting pipelines and umbilicals within the Thames Area Complex, in accordance with the provisions of the Petroleum Act 1998. The first phase of the Thames Area decommissioning has been successfully completed on schedule and on budget. The Tullow operated Horne and Wren platform is now hydrocarbon free and the subsea wells are isolated. Phase two planning is under way for the removal of the Horne and Wren platform and selected well plugging and abandonment in 2016.
Operators:
Tullow Oil: Operator with 50% interest
Centrica: 50% interest
Contractors:
SLP Engineering Ltd: Horne & Wren Platform
Seaway Heavy Lifting: Transport and installation of Horne & Wren Platform
Jee Ltd: Tullow has asked Jee to review the approach specified in their decommissioning programmes for Thames Area Complex assets, and re-define the most appropriate decommissioning options for the subsea sections. The study will assess what infrastructure can be left in situ. In instances where removal is deemed necessary, Jee will look for process efficiency to reduce associated costs. Jee’s assessment will include decommissioning options for the associated components such as mattresses and grout bags. (April, 2016)
Petrofac: An engineering and project management services, through its subsidiary SPD Limited, to provide a well plug and abandonment campaign as part of the Thames Area Complex decommissioning project. (March, 2016)
- delivered the conceptual design, detailed planning, procurement, subcontractor management and the full execution of the plug and abandonment operations. (September, 2016)
Claxton: Contracted for well abandonment. This was completed within 18 days in July 2016, Claxton was responsible for the 5.1/2” tubing cut verification, tubing recovery, sub-mudline abrasive conductor severance, conductor cut verification and the subsequent multi-string recovery from both wells. (July, 2016)
Scaldis SMC: Contract to remove the offshore Horne & Wren platform (April, 2017)