Second Shah Deniz 2 platform topsides unit installed
The Shah Deniz consortium has reported that the topsides of the production and risers (PR) platform for the Shah Deniz Stage 2 project has been installed in the Azeri sector of the Caspian Sea.
This follows the safe and successful sail away and offshore installation of the quarters and utilities (QU) platform topsides in early June.
According to BP, the PR platform topsides unit, which was completed ahead of schedule, sailed away to the Shah Deniz contract area in the Caspian Sea from the Azfen fabrication yard in Bibi-Heybat on the 15th September.
Prior to that, the topsides unit was jacked up onto the load-out frame at the quayside of the fabrication yard on the 6th August and was transferred onto the STB-1 transportation barge on the 9th September, in preparation for sail away.
The transportation, float-over and installation activities took six days to complete. The unit now has been installed on top of the PR jacket which was already at its offshore location in a water depth of 94 metres (308 feet) waiting for the deck.
The PR platform topsides unit weighs about 15,800 metric tons and is 100 metres (328 feet) long by 60 metres (197 feet) wide. It contains a 133-metre (436-foot) long flare boom, ten flowline reception facilities, five production separators, two flash gas compressors, and three production export flowlines.
The construction of the PR topsides unit, which was built by the AMEC-Tekfen-Azfen consortium at the Azfen fabrication yard, was fully undertaken in the country using local infrastructure and facilities, BP said. More than 5,000 people, including sub-contractors and specialist vendors, were involved in the construction works. More than 90% of these were Azerbaijani citizens.
Ewan Drummond, BP’s Vice President, Projects, said: “The PR platform topsides sail away and safe offshore installation is an extremely important project milestone as it finalises our offshore facilities fabrication delivery. We are very pleased to deliver this final offshore installation activity safely and in time to support the giant Shah Deniz Stage 2 project completion and first gas delivery next year.”