Armada Rationalisation Study
Challenge
Our customer initiated the Armada Rationalisation Project to align with broader strategic objectives surrounding infrastructure optimisation and cost efficiency within the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS). The central challenge was the need to safely and effectively rationalise the Armada complex by ceasing production operations and progressing toward disconnection and potential decommissioning. This effort required:
- Robust technical evaluation of disconnection, isolation, and cleaning strategies across interconnected platforms.
- Coordination of multiple stakeholders with distinct priorities and timelines.
- Development of an integrated plan that mitigates environmental and operational risk while ensuring regulatory compliance.
- The need to maintain agility to accommodate evolving operational realities and commercial arrangements across Armada, North Everest, and Lomond platforms.
Solution
Our multidisciplinary approach included:
- Deployment of an experienced integrated project team to lead engineering, planning, cost estimation, and risk management workstreams.
- Development of a structured execution plan for pipeline disconnection and topsides rationalisation, considering asset integrity, hydrocarbon inventory management, and environmental discharge limitations.
- Generation of a costed, risk-assessed schedule encompassing options for phased disconnection, cleaning, and potential reuse or decommissioning of infrastructure.
- Proactive engagement with our customer and partner operators to align interfaces and schedule dependencies across production and cessation activities.
Result
- Confirmed asset viability to 2030 and beyond: Structural and subsea assessments validated that the Armada platform and its pipeline network remain fit-for-purpose through to planned CoP, providing Harbour Energy the technical confidence needed to commit to a late-life extension strategy
- Identified over £21m per year in OPEX savings: A detailed cost review pinpointed tangible efficiency opportunities across functional support, logistics, emissions management, and risk-based integrity practices.
- Delivered a compelling operating model business case: Modelling of an outsourced Duty Holder arrangement demonstrated a potential reduction in unit operating cost, aligning Armada's cost base with UKCS late-life industry norms and protecting the economics of the asset's final production phase.
- Provided a clear pathway to decommissioning: The study culminated in a phased transition roadmap linking late-life operations directly to well P&A planning and final decommissioning obligations
21 m
per year in OPEX savings
5 +
Years of asset viability confirmed
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