Crowds Gather as Giant Brent Bravo Platform Journeys up River Tees to be Scrapped – Images

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Crowds gather as giant Brent Bravo rig continues journey up River Tees to be scrapped

Crowds gathered as the massive Brent Bravo oil rig continued its journey into Teesside for decommissioning.

The massive structure is the sister platform of the Brent Delta, which is also being scrapped at Able Seaton Port.

She stretches about 70 metres across and 125m tall – TWICE the height of the Transporter.

Her great 25,000 mass was lifted – whole – onto the largest construction vessel in the world, the Allseas Pioneering Spirit, and sailed 500 miles from the Shell Brent oil field, north-east of Shetland.

After arriving off the North East coast, the Brent Bravo was transferred to a 200-metre long barge, the Iron Lady, for the final part of the journey to Able Seaton Port where it is currently moored on Quay 6.

On Thursday afternoon, crowds gathered at South Gare as the platform made it’s way past.

Onlookers and kite surfers were dwarfed as the giant structure slowly travelled by.

Next week the final manoeuvre will see the platform ‘skidded’ on to the multi-million-pound demolition pad which forms part of what is probably the strongest quay in Europe.

Peter Stephenson, founder and Executive Chairman of Able UK, said: “The Brent decommissioning project is the most significant project of its type to date and the fact that Able was selected against an initial longlist of 131 potential disposal yards demonstrates the reputation we have established through our long track record of working with many of the world’s major offshore energy companies.

“As with the Brent Delta, this operation has involved one of the heaviest lifts ever undertaken and is a success for everyone involved, especially our partners Shell and Allseas.

“Once again the Brent Bravo will provide a spectacular addition to the Teesside skyline for some time as we undertake the decommissioning programme with the aim of recycling over 98 per cent of the structure.”

Able invested £28million in constructing this new facility, including one of the strongest quays in Europe, to meet the requirements for handling the Brent platforms—and putting the company at the forefront of the growing demand for decommissioning platforms as they come to the end of their operational lives.

The Brent Delta and Bravo were among the first oil rigs ever built in the early days of the UK’s oil and gas industry.

By 1982, the four platforms that made up the Brent field produced more than half a million barrels of oil a day.

The Allseas Pioneering Spirit has been specially designed for the single-lift installation and removal of large oil and gas platforms.

The crane ship moored off Hartlepool at dawn, ahead of the rig topside being transferred to the “Iron Lady” – the Allseas cargo barge for the last leg of the journey up the Tees.

She will sail into Able Seaton Port later on Thursday afternoon, weather permitting.

Source: Gazettelive.co.uk

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