WATCH: 38,000-Tonne ‘Mariner A’ Topside Installed Off Scotland

Norwegian energy company Statoil has completed the installation of the 38,000-tonne topside of its Mariner A production, drilling and quarters (PDQ) platform in the UK sector of the North Sea.

The topside consists of eight modules, including two that weigh more than 10,000 tonnes each, based on top of a steel jacket. On August 2, the final piece of the puzzle was lifted into place using the heavy lift vessel Saipem 7000. With the installation of the Mariner A topside complete, the platform is now connected to the Safe Boreas accommodation floatel.  The flare, a crane and some stair towers have also been installed offshore on Mariner A.

Mariner Field

Located some 250 kilometers Scotland’s north-east coast, the Mariner field will contribute more than 250 million barrels of heavy oil reserves with an average production of around 55,000 barrels per day over a period of 30 years.

Mariner A will be connected to the floating storage unit (FSU), Mariner B, where tankers will load oil produced at the field for transport to global markets. 

Production is expected to commence in 2018. Drilling has already started at the field using a jack-up rig, which will assist Mariner A for the first four years.

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