Three Firms Combine to Create New Decommissioning Company in Aberdeen
AF Gruppen’s subsidiary AF Offshore Decom is joining forces with offshore decommissioning players Heerema Marine Contractors and Decom Energy to launch a new company: Fairfield Decom.
SSCV Thialf transports section of decommissioned jacket to disposal yard. Source: HMC
Headquartered in Aberdeen, this new venture combines the knowledge of an operator with the expertise and capabilities of the offshore decommissioning contractors, AF Gruppen said on Thursday.
Through this step, a unique late-life operations and decommissioning operator is created, providing an all-encompassing solution for offshore oil and gas assets, primary in the UK Continental Shelf, the company added.
The company noted that, with an average £1.5 billion annual projected expenditure over the next eight years, the UK Continental Shelf is the largest of the global offshore decommissioning markets.
In the Thursday statement, AF Gruppen further said: “Fairfield Decom represents a major leap towards a more innovative and sustainable offshore decommissioning industry. Customers will benefit from a new business model, designed to reduce complexity and the number of contractual arrangements, deliver operational efficiency, cost-effectiveness and predictability contributing to the 35% cost reduction targets set by the Oil and Gas Authority in the UK.”
According to the company, Fairfield Decom’s customers will benefit by having direct access to the expertise, capabilities and assets brought together via AF Offshore Decom, Heerema Marine Contractors and Decom Energy, as Fairfield Decom is able to manage, integrate and then execute end-to-end late-life and decommissioning activities.
‘Next generation decommissioning’
“This is what we call the next generation decommissioning,” the company said.
The creation of the joint venture is subject to approval of the Norwegian competition authorities.
AF Offshore Decom is a specialized contractor that has been developing and executing solutions for the removal and recycling of offshore installations for the past 15 years.