Huge barge brings latest Able cargo

Jun 15 2009 by Karen McLauchlan, Evening Gazette

ONE of the largest ocean-going barges in the world has arrived at Able UK’s reclamation facility at Graythorp carrying huge sections of the North West Hutton oil platform which is being recycled at the yard.

The H627 barge, which is 179m long and almost 50m wide, is operated by Heerema Marine Contractors, and arrived at the TERRC basin with a 4,000t payload.

The barge had been towed by the tug Carlo Magno from the North West Hutton installation, North East of the Shetland Isles, with four local tugs operated by Switzer Marine joining the operation to manoeuvre it through the Seaton Channel to the quayside. It was the seventh of ten barges which will be carrying sections of the platform to the dock. The remainder should arrive later this summer.

Able UK executive chairman Peter Stephenson said: “We will undertake lifting the jacket and other sections from the barge on to dry land later this month, using the huge 2,000t ‘Ringer’ crane operated by Mammoet.

“The North West Hutton platform is the biggest to be removed from the North Sea and it underlines our position as the world leader in the dismantling and recycling of marine structures.”

Installed in 1981 and laying 130 kilometres north east of the Shetland Islands, the North West Hutton installation had accommodation and facilities for more than 200 personnel and a production capacity of 130,000 barrels of oil a day.

The field ceased production in January 2003 and in 2006 BP announced that the offshore removal and transportation would be undertaken by Heerema Marine Contractors, with Able UK recycling and disposing of the structures.

Meanwhile, Able is preparing the specialist dry dock to begin dismantling the former aircraft carrier Le Clemenceau this summer.