Located approximately 125km north-west of the Shetland Islands, the Laggan and Tormore fields represent the future of the UK oil and gas industry.
Laying the foundations
Developing a subsea production system capable of semi-autonomous remote operation beneath 600m of water, located more than 140km offshore, is a complex challenge.
The plan calls for the installation of two, six-slot manifold templates, which will be tied into six new production wells (four on Laggan, two on Tormore) plus an existing exploration well on Tormore.
Each manifold template is vast: approximately 30m wide, 40m long and 21m tall and weighing in at an impressive 900 tonnes.
Fabrication commenced in September 2011, ensuring the templates are ready for installation prior to the start of the main drilling campaign. Each features enlarged suction anchors to sink the large steel structures deep into the soft seabed.
“Installation of the templates pushes the boundaries of what is possible in terms of offshore heavy lift capabilities in deepwater,” explains Jerome Lesgent, Subsea Production System Manager. “The Thialf Heavy Lift Vessel, operated by Hereema – the largest of its kind operating in the world today – will be used for the lift in the summer of 2012.”
Work is underway developing the rest of the subsea production system (SPS). “From the outset, we’ve focused heavily on engineering the SPS. As with any subsea system, safety, quality and reliability are the prime concerns, but with the remote distance of Laggan-Tormore and the harsh environment of West of Shetland, it’s an even greater challenge.”
