Expert Well Abandonment Engineering For James Fisher Decommissioning

INDUSTRY:
Oil and Gas

TYPE OF WORK:
Harsh Environment Launch and Retrieval, Decommissioning, System Integration, Hydraulics

They’ve [Enginuity] got a case history behind them. That product [SEALift], we thought, we could convert it, and with their support, work it into our tool. It was a good, dynamic group.

Richard Henderson, P. Eng. 
James Fisher Decommissioning

About the Client

James Fisher Decommissioning

James Fisher Decommissioning (JF Decom), a subsidiary of James Fisher and Sons plc, specializes in offshore decommissioning engineering projects. Serving clients in the offshore oil and gas sector around the globe. The company offers comprehensive support for removing subsea infrastructure, structures, and jackets, as well as severance and abandonment.

They are industry leaders, having streamlined what was traditionally dangerous and expensive work into a safer and more cost-effective operation for all their clients.

Understanding the Problem

The Challenge

SEABASS is JF Decom’s innovative well abandonment tool. It is a single-trip, mechanical locking system designed for Class II wells, offering a cost-effective and quicker alternative to rig-based solutions. SEABASS improves upon current market tools, reducing operational risk and project downtime while meeting global market criteria.

The SEABASS tool, developed by Richard Henderson, Director of Engineering at JF Decom, required a sure-fire, quick release method of disengaging should things go awry mid-mission.

In-house options were explored. However, it was determined that developing and producing a decoupling tool “in-house” would be time-consuming and expensive.

Enginuity was brought in to provide offshore decommission engineering solutions to meet these challenges. Adding to the challenge, this project took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, when travel restrictions and isolation mandates were in place.

Solving the Challenge

The Solution

JF DECOM engineer Richard Henderson (already familiar with Enginuity’s signature, harsh environment launch and retrieval device SEA-Lift™), sought to add an effective and completely integrated component that would help mitigate danger on a procedure of this nature.

The SEA-Lift is an ingenious device that allows the operator to connect and disconnect from subsea assets during subsea decommissioning.

A high-level viability assessment was initiated to accurately identify the specifics of the project. Identified were the following mandatory requirements:

1. The SEA-Lift decoupler would have to fit inside SEABASS tool without additional modifications.
2. The system could only be powered by the existing hydraulic system.
3. It had to work. Every. Single. Time.


The Enginuity mechanical and industrial marine teams immediately answered the call and encircled the challenge, demonstrating their proficiency in decommission engineering solutions.

Throughout the Design, Fabrication, Building, and Testing stages of the product, Enginuity and Henderson’s team moved together as one unit, despite geography and a global pandemic.

The Enginuity team had the ability to develop a highly specific component from a distance, even with the challenges that supply chain shortages and other associated issues that COVID brought with it.

Summarizing the Outcome

The Conclusion

From the initial conversations in September 2021, until 12 short months later when the product was delivered, James Fisher Decommissioning and Enginuity worked as one unit, perfecting the SEA-Lift component to ensure its undeniable value to the SEABASS decommissioning tool.

Today, JFD is using the SEABASS (with the Enginuity decoupling tool) on operations globally, serving clients in the removal of their oil and gas assets safely and economically.

The company continues to improve design and has made further modifications to improve performance, with Enginuity as partner all the while.

Read the Impact

Deep. Well. Connected. The Importance of Trust and B2B Alignment

Key Takeaways

Engineering Innovation

Adapted and integrated the SEA-Lift system with the SEABASS tool, ensuring safe and effective well abandonment operations.

Collaborative Efficiency

Managed the project remotely, overcoming supply chain challenges and delivering within 12 months despite the pandemic.

Risk Mitigation

Incorporated proven technology to reduce operational risk, ensuring safe decoupling of the SEABASS tool in emergencies.

Applying Our Expertise to Broader Decommissioning and Abandonment Services

The successful collaboration with James Fisher Decommissioning showcases our proficiency in delivering advanced engineering for decommissioning and well abandonment solutions. This experience underlines our capability to provide innovative, cost-effective decommissioning & abandonment programs that can be applied across various sectors and challenges.

Well Abandonment Services: Our expertise in developing and integrating the SEA-Lift system into the SEABASS tool demonstrates our ability to deliver efficient and safe well abandonment solutions. We ensure minimal environmental impact and operational risk while meeting regulatory requirements. Our well abandonment capabilities include well plug and abandonment process and oilfield & wellsite abandonment.

Subsea Engineering Solutions: Leveraging our experience in subsea technology, we provide comprehensive support for the decommissioning of subsea infrastructure, structures, and jackets. Our solutions are designed to withstand harsh environments and ensure the safety and reliability of operations. This includes riser & subsea decommissioning and pre-abandonment field inspections.

Our experience in well abandonment solutions and decommissioning spans multiple phases and tasks. We offer multi-disciplinary team of experienced specialists who understand the complexities of decommissioning and are committed to delivering certainty across all projects.

With our expertise, we help clients achieve improvements in efficiency, safety, and environmental protection, driving sustainable growth and success in their decommissioning and engineering projects. 

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Helping you develop reliable engineering solutions for harsh environment offshore operations.

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