In April 2025, the decommissioning program reached a significant milestone that reduces risk to people and the environment.
A series of risers and umbilical pipelines connected the Northern Endeavour FPSO to the Corallina and Laminaria oilfields for 26 years. Phase 1 contractor Petrofac Facilities Management Limited and multi-purpose vessel, Skandi Hercules, cut 8 risers and lowered them to the seabed.
The Skandi Hercules lowers a remote operated vehicle (ROV) out of a hanger to cut the risers.
Removing the connection between the FPSO and the wells means there’s no risk of oil leaking from the FPSO. The disconnection marks an important point in the FPSO’s history since its initial connection to the subsea wells in 1999.
Nine mooring chains keep the FPSO connected to the seabed, keeping the vessel safely in place. Cutting the chains will be one of the final milestones before removal of the FPSO from the field, an operation scheduled for later in 2025.
The live feed from the ROV on a monitor with the riser cutting device preparing to cut.
Umbilicals and risers make it possible to transport fluids and electrical signals between the seabed and the FPSO. Risers are the pipelines that transport oil, gas and water. Umbilicals consist of sheathed bundles of hydraulic hoses and electrical cables. They allow subsea equipment control from the FPSO and chemical injection into the subsea infrastructure.
