Heather Decommissioning Project – Completion of Topsides Heavy Lift

EnQuest (or the ‘Group’) is delighted to confirm the completion of a major decommissioning milestone, with the safe removal of the Heather Alpha topsides on 11 August. The Allseas-owned Pioneering Spirit heavy lift vessel removed the 15,300 tonne topsides in a single lift, the largest single lift planned in the North Sea this year.

Building on EnQuest’s established top quartile decommissioning performance, which has seen the Group complete the plugging and abandonment of more than 80 North Sea wells in the past three years, the heavy lift marked the culmination of significant planning, engineering and offshore preparation work, which has been undertaken by EnQuest’s in-house decommissioning team, working alongside Allseas and other specialist contractors. 

The Heather topsides are currently in transit to Frederikshavn in Denmark, where the structure will be dismantled, with a continued focus on safe operations. It is expected that more than 95% of the structure will be recycled and repurposed, ensuring maximum material recovery and minimising the carbon footprint of the project.

You can view a short video of the lift operation here.


Commenting on the operation, EnQuest Decommissioning Director, John Allan said:

“The removal of the Heather Alpha topsides is a tremendous accomplishment for the EnQuest team, as well as our colleagues at Allseas and across the project support network. The Pioneering Spirit completed the lift in around 14 seconds, but that astonishing reality was only made possible by three years of meticulous planning, engineering and preparation works. After almost 50 years of operations in the North Sea, Heather Alpha’s legacy is to be an exemplar of a best-in-class decommissioning project, from inception to the responsible recycling of its materials.”

Ends

For further information please contact:

EnQuest PLC 
Tel: +44 (0)20 7925 4900
Amjad Bseisu (Chief Executive Officer)    
Jonathan Copus (Chief Financial Officer)     
Craig Baxter (Head of Investor Relations and Corporate Affairs)    

Teneo    
Tel: +44 (0)20 7353 4200
Martin Robinson    
Harry Cameron    

ENQUEST

EnQuest is providing creative solutions through the energy transition. As an independent energy company with operations in the UK North Sea and South East Asia, the Group's strategic vision is to be the partner of choice for the responsible management of existing energy assets, applying its core capabilities to create value through the transition.

EnQuest PLC trades on the London Stock Exchange.
Please visit our website www.enquest.com for more information on our global operations 

Forward-looking statements: This announcement may contain certain forward-looking statements with respect to EnQuest’s expectations and plans, strategy, management’s objectives, future performance, production, reserves, costs, revenues and other trend information. These statements and forecasts involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend upon circumstances that may occur in the future. There are a number of factors which could cause actual results or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements and forecasts. The statements have been made with reference to forecast price changes, economic conditions and the current regulatory environment. Nothing in this announcement should be construed as a profit forecast. Past share performance cannot be relied upon as a guide to future performance.

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