The pre-commissioning work on the two pipelines included flooding, cleaning, gauging, high-pressure flushing, and hydrotesting the lines from onshore to enable them to transport gas and condensate from the field to Shell’s onshore gas plant at St Fergus.
The pre-commissioning worksite of the Shell UK-operated Goldeneye Venture was located in marshlands designated as a Site of Importance to Natural Science, presenting a challenge to the work team to ensure that the site remained a hydrocarbon- and chemical spill-free zone. Halliburton’s team in Aberdeen successfully undertook the project, which included the mobilization and installation of a 2,400-HP pumping spread, 9,500 work hours, and 48 days on site, achieved with zero environmental and safety incidents.
The Goldeneye field lies in the Outer Moray Firth area of the UK Central North Sea, 100km NE of the St Fergus gas terminals. Saipem UK installed the 20-in, 101-km long gas export and 4-in monoethylene glycol pipelines simultaneously in water depths of 120m using its pipelaying vessel, Castoro Sei.