MAKING

DECOMMISSIONING
HAPPEN.
Proven experience combined with world-class design
and project delivery mean you can trust Claxton to
make your offshore decommissioning happen.

UK HEAD OFFICE

DUBAI

SINGAPORE

Claxton
Bureside House
North River Road
Great Yarmouth
Norfolk, NR30 1TE
UK

Claxton
PO Box 262490
Jebel Ali Free Zone
Gate 5, South Side
FZS1 AL05
Dubai

Claxton
107 Tuas South Avenue 8
Offshore Marine Center
637036 Singapore

T: +44 (0) 1493 744500

E: info@claxtonengineering.com
ABERDEEN

T: +971 4 8863540
E: dubai@claxtonengineering.com
NORWAY

Claxton
Tern Place House, Tern Place
Bridge of Don
Aberdeen
Scotland
AB23 8JX

Claxton
c/o Finnestadgeilen 11, Building 18
Dusavik Base, N - 4029
Stavanger
Norway

T: +44 (0) 1224 452371

E: aberdeen@claxtonengineering.com

T: +47 51 83 66 74
E: norway@claxtonengineering.com

@ClaxtonNews

T: +65 6705 5825

E: singapore@claxtonengineering.com

Claxton Engineering

Learn more at:

www.claxtonengineering.com
Tel: +44 (0)1493 744500

www.claxtonengineering.com

MAKE
IT
HAPPEN.

CLAXTON HAVE
CONTINUALLY INVESTED
IN OUR TEAM AND
PROPRIETARY TOOLING
WITH THE RESULT THAT
TODAY THE COMPANY HAS
COMPLETED OVER 280
CUTTING AND RECOVERY
PROJECTS, OVER 85
WELLS CUT AND OVER
130 SUSPENDED WELLS
ABANDONED.

Decommissioning has become an integral part of the

offshore industry over the past few years as operators
seek to reduce their asset stock and remain profitable at
the same time. To achieve this, its important that clients
have a reliable and expert supply chain to rely on for
guidance and support.
Claxton has a long standing record working on decommissioning projects
around the world and have invested in creating a portfolio of comprehensive
services. Experienced in platform, subsea, rigless and vessel based
campaigns, Claxton supports well decommissioning by providing risers,
wellhead removal, conductor severance, well P&A and solutions to overcome
integrity issues with platforms or ageing well infrastructure.
Our experience, coupled with extensive in-house tailored engineering
capabilities and a proven record of managing successful projects, makes
Claxton the confident choice for platform and subsea well abandonment.
The content of this guide shows how we have shaped a turnkey
decommissioning service that has already helped hundreds of operators
and projects around the world achieve their desired outcomes.
Thank you for taking the time to read this brochure. We look forward to
helping with your decommissioning project very soon.
Robert Leggett
Decommissioning Product Leader

02

CONTENTS
DECOMMISSIONING SERVICES

04

Platform well abandonment

08

Subsea well abandonment

10

Casing recovery

12

PRODUCTS
SABRE - Subsea Abrasive Cutting

14

SWAT - Suspended Well

Abandonment Tool

16

Drilling and Pinning

18

Casing and conductor saws

20

CASE STUDIES

22

Jack-up boat well decommissioning

23

SABRE Abrasive Jet Cutting

System used to abandon Camelot

24

One-stop decommissioning solution

26

Rising to the challenge of Rigless

Slot Recovery

28

The worlds first Rigless Platform

Well Abandonment

30

OUR FULL RANGE OF SERVICES

31

03

YOUR PROJECT NEEDS TO DELIVER.

WELL MAKE IT
HAPPEN.

RIG AND RIGLESS DECOMMISSIONING SERVICES

04

05

DECOMMISSIONING
SERVICES

Operators are now under increasing pressure to reduce costs

and the focus on decommissioning is that much greater.
However, the scale of cost reduction required means looking
beyond immediate short-term efficiencies and thinking more
strategically of ways to reduce costs in the long term.
Claxtons growing catalogue of success across the life of field, including
being involved in many of the original drilling projects in the North Sea
has enabled us to provide a decommissioning capability that often
exceeds those of much larger competitors.
Our well abandonment experience stretches back over 20 years and we
performed the worlds first rigless platform well abandonment campaign
on the Esmond, Forbes and Gordon field in 1995.
With Claxtons extensive knowledge and experiences of well
decommissioning projects around the world, we define our unique
offering as one that considers best practice that can be applied at
different stages of the decommissioning process. We are also able to
draw from interconnected disciplines from across the Acteon group of
companies and third party partnerships for specialist analysis work and
manufacturing/machining where required. This enables us to define a
full service offering for projects on a case by case basis.
Claxton has grown significantly over the years in order to respond to our
clients operating needs. The companys integration strategy means we
can offer comprehensive decommissioning packages to our clients for
the following applications:
Platform Wells (Rigless, Rig-based or combined SIMOPS)
Subsea Wells
Casing Recovery (Drilling Support Operations).
As well as describing some of the decommissioning projects Claxton
have been involved in, this guide will give you a summary of the
processes and procedures we can offer to abandon your wells reliably,
successfully and safely.

06

CLAXTONS TOOLS AND

PROCESSES HAVE DEFINED
RIGLESS AND RIG-BASED
DECOMMISSIONING AND
HAVE A PROVEN RECORD.

07

DECOMMISSIONING SERVICES

PLATFORM WELL
ABANDONMENT
RIGLESS, RIG-BASED
OR COMBINED
SIMOPS
PLATFORM WELL
ABANDONMENT RIGLESS, RIG-BASED OR
COMBINED SIMOPS

Operators Phase

Claxton offers

Project Planning

We provide a collaborative approach using our experience to

identify potential problems and offer ideas and solutions to
overcome these
Guide obstruction removal
Centralizer removal
Review of available/existing information
Review of well structural Integrity issues
Review of the platform structural integrity issues
Review the wellhead infrastructure
Review of available facility services
Surveys
Feasibility study of recovery options
Interface review and planning
Development of procedures
Design analysis and bespoke engineering
Project management
Plan critical path activities
Establish P&A Programme and execution methodology.

P&A of the Well

Wellhead preparation services and deconstruction

Flushing and stinging services
Integrity testing
On-site machining
Xmas Tree removal
Hot bolting
Supply of risers and the wellhead/B.O.P interfaces
Riser tensioning (tension rings and tension systems)
Platform SWAT to enable setting of well barriers
Tubing severance and removal
Camera system for well inspection
Supply of Wellhead Jewellery for cementing services.

Recovery

Installation of the appropriate recovery system

Guide obstruction and centralizer removal
Downhole severance:
SABRE AWJCS (abrasive water jet cutting system), diamond
wire, hydraulic cutting tools, mechanical cutting
Cut verification
Surface severance and conductor recovery (single or
multi-string):
Drilling & pinning, lifting tools and bespoke lifting devices,
bandsaws, conductor/riser handling, marine growth removal,
cut joint preparation for safe backload operations
Installation of deck hatch covers to make well slots safe.

For platform well abandonments, we

can deploy our innovative range of
equipment along with providing our
expertise in abandonment planning,
P&A of the well and full recovery in
order to support you throughout the
whole lifetime of your project.
Claxton have built an enviable reputation
in providing a rapid response to
customers needs - whilst always
seeking best practice solutions in the
most cost effective and safe way.
Our ability to combine our large rental
inventory with a fast-track designanalyse-build engineering service means
were often uniquely placed to respond
quickly and responsively.

08

09

DECOMMISSIONING SERVICES

SUBSEA WELL
ABANDONMENT

SUBSEA WELL
ABANDONMENT

Operators Phase

Claxton offers

Project Planning

We provide a collaborative approach using our experience to

identify potential problems and offer ideas and solutions to
overcome these
Review of available information
Vessel based surveys and tooling to enable information
gathering (TACRT - Temporary Abandonment Cap Retrieval
Tool, camera systems)
Review of well structural integrity issues
Review of the wellhead infrastructure and over-trawlable
structures
Bespoke wellhead tooling
Riser and structural analysis
Riser design and selection
Feasibility review of recovery options
Interface review and planning
Development of procedures
Design analysis and bespoke engineering
Project management
Establish P&A programme and execution methodology.

P&A of the Well

Supply means of interfacing to the wellhead:

Hydraulic connector for the wellhead and Xmas Tree
Connector control systems and umbilicals IWOCS
(Intervention Workover Control Systems)
Supply of riser systems:
To suit 18.34" or 13.58" wellhead systems, 7" intervention riser,
VIV (Vortex Induced Vibration) management
Riser tensioning (tension rings and tension systems)
TACRT - Temporary Abandonment Cap Retrieval Tool and
LPP - Low Pressure Packer for mudline wells
SWAT Suspended Well Abandonment Tool
Through riser cementing optimisation.

Recovery

Recovery of the wellhead using bespoke wellhead

recovery tool
Wellhead and tree lift tools
Subsea drilling & pinning
Severance:
SABRE AWJCS (abrasive water jet cutting system),
diamond wire, mechanical cutting, and cut verification.

Subsea well intervention/

abandonment offers many challenges
and requires as much advance
planning as possible. The cost of this
has also in the past inhibited projects.
With Claxtons subsea well
abandonment execution model and
supporting product set we can make
it much more viable.
We provide a wide range of subsea well
abandonment bespoke tooling solutions
and you will find innovation through
continued R&D of new products and
from our core teams passion to solve
operating challenges.
Claxton have delivered many successful
campaigns across the world with a scope
that can include the riser system and
wellhead interface through to the subsea
severance and abandonment. Our
equipment can be mobilised quickly and
cost efficiently for all your bespoke
subsea well abandonment requirements.

10

11

DECOMMISSIONING SERVICES

CASING RECOVERY
(DRILLING SUPPORT
OPERATIONS)

CASING RECOVERY
(DRILLING SUPPORT
OPERATIONS)

Operators Phase

Claxton offers

Project Planning

We provide a collaborative approach using our experience to

identify potential problems and offer ideas and solutions to
overcome these
Review the wellhead infrastructure
Surveys
Feasibility study of recovery options
Review of available services
Interface review and planning
Development of procedures
Design analysis and bespoke engineering
Project management
Plan critical path activities.

Recovery

Severance:
SABRE AWJCS (abrasive water jet cutting system),
diamond wire, hydraulic cutting tools, mechanical cutting and
cut verification
Surface severance and conductor recovery
(single or multi-string):
Drilling & pinning, lifting tools and bespoke lifting devices,
bandsaws, conductor/riser handling, marine growth removal,
cut joint preparation for safe backload operations
Installation of deck hatch covers to make well slots safe.

Claxton also uses its field proven

tooling and methodologies to support
drilling activities. We recognise that
operators now need to take a different
approach to their future abandonment
liabilities during the initial upfront
exploration and appraisal well
operations.
The environment cementation to form the
barrier is now often undertaken at the
drilling phase which can lead to higher
than planned cementation at mudline and
consequently a requirement to undertake
a recovery of the multiple casing strings.
Claxton can offer the full suite of tooling
to perform the down-hole severance and
recovery of multiple strings.

12

13

PRODUCTS

SABRE
SUBSEA ABRASIVE
CUTTING

SABRE SUBSEA
ABRASIVE CUTTING
The Claxton SABRE abrasive cutting
system is proven to simultaneously
sever all the casings in a well,
regardless of casing loading,
eccentricity, or annuli contents.
Proven technology
SABRE has proven to be an invaluable
tool and has seen successful use on some
of the most significant abandonment
campaigns. SABRE's abrasive jet exits the
tool at transonic speeds making light
work of even composite materials such as
cemented casings.
Using a jet of naturally occurring cutting
components (garnet, water and air),
SABRE has a low environmental impact.
The system can be deployed from a
vessel or platform, allowing simultaneous
abrasive cutting of multiple well casings
without impacting adjacent infrastructure.
Benefits of SABRE:
Casings can be cut and recovered
simultaneously or individually
Can enter wells down to 6.58" bore
Internal or external cutting
applications
Modular system footprint can be
adapted to a wide range of
applications/deck layouts
Cutting manipulators available to
suit all standard casing sizes
Packer system improves cutting
performance through de-watering
of the wellbore

SABRE DECK SPREAD

Designed with flexibility in mind,
SABREs deck spread is fully modular
and adapts to a wide variety of deck
layouts and locations.

Proprietary Claxton jet technology

ensures cutting performance
Extensive track record - proven on
numerous successful campaigns
Fully NORSOK compliant to Z-015.
14

15

PRODUCTS

SWAT
SUSPENDED WELL
ABANDONMENT
TOOL
SWAT SUSPENDED WELL
ABANDONMENT TOOL
Claxton has successfully deployed
our cutting, abandonment and
recovery tooling across the world
for our customers. This includes
many category 2 wells of which all
required a shallow cement barrier
spanning through all of the casing
annuli. This experience directly
influenced the development of our
multi-award winning Suspended
Well Abandonment Tool SWAT.
Delivered in conjunction with our
sister company, OIS, SWAT opens
the opportunity for innovative, cost
saving multi-operator campaigns.
SWAT is deployed through a moonpool,
landed on the wellhead and then used
to carry out casing perforation and
placement of the required cement barriers
in the well. The wellhead can then be
severed using SABRE subsea abrasive
cutting tool and recovered using the
Claxton subsea wellhead recovery tool.
Suspended Well Abandonment
Tool benefits:
Deployed from a vessel, removing
the need for a drilling rig

and intermediate barriers, increasing the

number of wells that can be abandoned
using rigless vessel based tools and
delivers cost-saving opportunities.
The extension module utilises Claxtons
existing SWAT tool to enable cement
to be displaced to the required location in
the well. A wiper ball is positioned before
and after the cement column, which
ensures that the bore is cleaned ahead of
the cement column, and that the cement
is isolated from contamination. The
cement is then displaced to the required
position in the well by pumping seawater
to the required depth. In the most recent
well abandonment campaign, the top
of the barrier was displaced to 2400 ft
below mudline.
TACRT - Temporary Abandonment
Cap Retrieval Tool
The Claxton TACRT provides a diverless
solution for the removal of temporary
abandonment caps from mudline wells.
The tool has been designed to be
deployed from a vessel and utilises a
bespoke joint connection to facilitate
easy make/break of extension joints.
The tool is capable of retrieving caps in
excess of 100 ft below mudline.

Unique, joined up Acteon

Group capability
Claxton and its sister company OIS
combine their onshore and offshore
engineering experience to deliver a
unique well abandonment capability
and open the door to vessel based
subsea decommissioning campaigns.
OIS have extensive experience of
delivering turnkey solutions for well
P&A of suspended wells and provide
our Suspended Well Abandonment
Tool SWAT through an exclusive
partnership.
This union of Claxtons tooling and
OIS project delivery gives operators a
reliable and economical alternative to
abandon Category 1 and Category 2
wells. Using a light weight construction
vessel negates the need for a rig which
can significantly reduce project costs.

A one-stop solution to place the

final cement barrier across all annuli
Single-pass cementing and
pressure testing
Deployed as part of a total
suspended subsea well
abandonment package
Proven across multiple successful
offshore campaigns.
SWAT extension module
The Claxton extension module for SWAT
enables us to set environmental barriers
16

17

PRODUCTS

DRILLING AND
PINNING

DRILLING AND PINNING

The Claxton drilling and pinning
system provides an efficient method
for securing multiple casing strings
for safe recovery operations.

18

Features of our drilling and pinning

capability include:
Single drilling units available for
applications where space is
restricted

The system can be provided as part of

a package that includes rapid cut
bandsaws and/or subsea abrasive
cutting for severance and hydraulic
jacking systems for recovery. Our
methodology enables simultaneous
retrieval of multiple casing strings, and
is designed to work independently of
rig operations.

Double drilling and pinning units

available for simultaneous boring
of both sides of the conductor
and casings

As a cold work technique our method is

especially suited to abandonment
operations where adjacent wells may
still be in production.

Surface or subsea applications

Modular design with multiple

handling points for ease of
installation and operation

Crucially, when compared to

conventional methods, using our system
to drill, pin and recover the conductor
means less deck space is required for
the recovered casings therefore
disposal logistics are simplified and
costs reduced.
Additionally Claxton has significant
experience in drilling and pinning aged
conductors (surface and subsea tools
available) to ensure safe recovery.

All units certified for zone II

applications

Conductor end caps provided to

mitigate dropped object potential.

19

PRODUCTS

CASING AND
CONDUCTOR
SAWS

CASING AND
CONDUCTOR SAWS

Features of casing and

conductor saws:

Innovative wedging system

prevents saw blade jamming

Claxtons rugged casing and

conductor saws quickly cut through
single or multiple casing strings
and provide a versatile solution for
many casing and conductor
severance applications.

Extensive selection of saw blades

ensure maximum efficiency on all
tubular types

Blade severance feature minimises

saw down-time

Cemented annuli and casing string

eccentricity pose no issue to our saws
in the field.
In addition to cutting equipment we can
supply complete cutting and recovery
operations. This includes the
engineering of recovery procedures for
specific challenges e.g. dealing with
fatigued connectors.

20

Rapid cut speed reduces rig time

and associated costs
Captivation system ensures
correct orientation of the blade
Small footprint and fully
containerised control system
lessens deck space required for
recovered casings
Can accommodate tubulars up to
60" OD, facilitating diverse
severance opportunities

Horizontal or vertical saw

orientation facilitates application
adaptability
The standard diamond wire saw can
deliver fast effective subsea cuts in
water depths of up to 600ft
RAPIER saws cold work
technique reduces safety hazards
allowing severance in most sites: it
is certified for Zone II applications
Hydraulically powered for robust
power and compactness.

21

CASE STUDY 1: DECOMMISSIONING

JACK-UP BOAT
WELL
DECOMMISSIONING

DECOMMISSIONING
CASE STUDIES

Claxtons promise is that well make your project happen

find out how we apply this focus to our clients decommissioning
projects in the following articles.

JACK-UP BOAT WELL DECOMMISSIONING

23

Learn more about how Claxtons SABRE subsea abrasive

cutting system provided a safe and cost-effective way to
decommission a well in the Irish Sea.

SABRE ABRASIVE JET CUTTING SYSTEM

USED TO ABANDON CAMELOT

24

Proprietary, field-proved Claxton technology delivered reliable

subsea cutting - find out how.

Operator uses the Claxton SABRE

subsea abrasive cutting system to
reduce rig costs.
Responsible operators are actively
plugging and abandoning offshore wells
that have reached the end of their
operational lives. This decommissioning
work provides long-term protection
for people and the environment, and
helps to protect a companys reputation
and secure its licence to operate.
However, the economics of fulfilling well
abandonment obligations can be
challenging, particularly where a rig
needs to be mobilised to allow the work
to be performed safely.

IS A RIG REQUIRED?
ONE-STOP DECOMMISSIONING SOLUTION

26

Comprehensive, bespoke and flexible services helped operator

plug and abandon wells in the southern North Sea.

RISING TO THE CHALLENGE OF RIGLESS

SLOT RECOVERY

28

Find out how Claxton delivered innovative rigless slot recovery

solutions offshore in Denmark.

THE WORLDS FIRST RIGLESS PLATFORM

WELL ABANDONMENT

The operator wanted a safe and

cost-effective way to decommission a
well in Morecambe Bay in the Irish Sea.
Traditionally, this work scope, which
included cleaning and dredging the well,
placing cement barriers in the bore and
cutting and recovering the casing,
would require the use of a rig. However,
the client wanted a safe and efficient
solution that could be deployed from its
existing jack-up workboat.

A COST-EFFECTIVE
SOLUTION
Claxton provided well abandonment
services that were deployed using a
flexible line from the back of a boat,
without the need for an expensive rig.
These services included the use of the
SABRE subsea abrasive cutting
system, cement deployment equipment
and packers. Claxton also supplied
and managed third-party ROV and
cementing services.
Critically, specialist tools and deployment
equipment enabled the use of the
relatively small, jack-up workboat, which
was already available to the operator.
The flexible SABRE system uses
high-pressure abrasive water jets at
transonic speeds to cut through multiple
cemented casings. Casings can be
cut and recovered simultaneously or
individually. The system has a low
environmental impact, using only
naturally occurring garnet, water and
air in the jet.

BENEFITS
Claxtons decommissioning, design
engineering and offshore teams worked
closely with its supply chain and the
operator to successfully abandon the
well. The ability to perform the work from
a jack-up boat removed the need to
mobilise a rig, saving rig mobilisation and
rental costs.
Robert Leggett, Decommissioning
Product Leader, Claxton, said, Working
with the client to successfully abandon
the well was a pleasure. This project
was particularly memorable, as we
believe that we achieved a first with the
placement of a cement barrier nearly
300 m below the mudline using a
flexible line from a jack-up boat. Our
experience with SABRE and related
plug and abandonment services were
key to to the projects success. We have
since worked with the client on
numerous similar well abandonment
assignments, strengthening our excellent
long-term relationship.

30

See how Claxton performed the worlds first rigless platform

and well abandonment developing a methodology that has
subsequently been used on multiple slot and conductor
recovery projects.

22

23

CASE STUDY 2: DECOMMISSIONING

SABRE ABRASIVE
JET CUTTING
SYSTEM USED TO
ABANDON CAMELOT
Proprietary, field-proven Claxton
technology delivers reliable
subsea cutting.

THE PROBLEM
There are serious doubts about whether
King Arthurs Camelot ever really existed.
In contrast, the UK North Sea gas fields
and production platform of the same
name certainly did, though the evidence
has disappeared.
The complete decommissioning of the
North Sea Camelot fields and the
removal of Camelot Alpha platform
began at the start of 2012 with the
plugging and abandonment of the fields
six platform wells. The next stage was
severance of the well casings some
5 m below the seabed.

THE SOLUTION
This was a task for which Claxton was
ideally qualified, as the Decommissioning
Product Leader Robert Leggett explained:
We have established an enviable record
in the North Sea for this kind of work
using our SABRE internal abrasive
cutting system, which enables us to
sever all the casings within a well
simultaneously, regardless of the loading
on the casings or any eccentricity. The
system uses a mixture of air, water and
abrasive garnet at up to 1000 bar to cut
through the multiple steel casings and
any cement within the various annuli.
We generally then drill and pin the
casings so they can be safely withdrawn
in a single operation.

within the well; for this, we use a Claxtondesigned jacking system to raise the
combined casings temporarily and then
ease them back down for complete
removal later.
This was the process Claxton followed
with the Camelot wells, which contained
casings ranging in diameter from 9-58"
to 30". The cutting process presented
a few challenges for the team, of
which one was working out how to
accommodate the various components
of the SABRE system in the limited
deck space available on the small,
normally unmanned Camelot platform.
Support beams were used to spread
the load of the components required to
run the SABRE system. The beams
also provided a secure foundation for
the jacks used to confirm the cuts.
The Claxton team also designed a
skidding package to shift the equipment
between the wells, thereby reducing
reliance on the platform crane and
shortening the overall time taken for
the job.

THE RESULT
There was much communication with
the client, and we jointly planned the job
very carefully before we went offshore,
said Leggett. Once the job started, we
had eight people, including supervisors,
split into two teams that shuttled back
and forth to the platform, thus ensuring
virtually 24-hour working.
In addition to the severance work,
Claxton designed and supplied a
bespoke lifting cap for the well casing
sets. This enabled each set to be easily
and safely recovered using a heavy-lift
barge in a separate operation carried out
after the Claxton team had left the site.
The SABRE system was introduced
in 1997 and has now been used to
sever about 85 wells in the North Sea
and the Gulf of Mexico. This includes
16 wells in a campaign that was part
of the Shell/Esso Indefatigable field
decommissioning project in 2011.
SABRE is fast becoming the tool of
choice for this kind of work because of
its performance, flexibility and reliability.

Part of the process is to prove that we

have achieved complete severance

24

25

CASE STUDY 3: DECOMMISSIONING

ONE-STOP
DECOMMISSIONING
SOLUTION

Comprehensive, bespoke and

flexible services help an operator
plug and abandon their wells in the
southern North Sea.
The field had been producing natural
gas for over 40 years. At its peak, it
supplied around 10% of the UKs gas
requirements. In the 1990s, an infield
drilling programme and new production
technologies revitalised the field.
Nevertheless, many older wells had
reached the end of their operational
lives, prompting the beginning of a
multiyear well abandonment campaign.

OBSOLETE INTERFACES
AND HIGH DEMAND
The age of the wells is challenging.
Many of the well interfaces are obsolete,
which means that some well intervention
equipment needed to be developed
specifically for the campaign.
The Claxton decommissioning team
worked closely with the operator to
understand the project requirements.
From the outset, it was clear that
Claxtons SABRE subsea abrasive
cutting system would be a vital part of
any campaign to cut and recover the
wells. However, SABREs growing
reputation meant that the units were in
high demand, with healthy backlogs,
and not immediately available.

26

RAPID REACTION
Claxton promptly manufactured a new
SABRE unit with a reduced footprint
designed specifically for the clients
campaign.This unit was deployed in
December 2013 and has since been in
continuous service. The system is
reliable, flexible and easily moved
between platforms and vessels. It also
has a low environment impact, using only
naturally occurring garnet minerals, air
and water in its transonic-speed abrasive
jet, which is capable of severing wells
with multiple cemented casings. The welldewatering packer was also upgraded.
The project scope also includes supply
of on-site machinery, surface riser
systems, bespoke interfaces, bandsaws
and drills to cut the recovered sections,
and debris caps and slings for safe multistring backload.

BENEFITS
The operator is using Claxtons
equipment and services to improve its

decommissioning efficiency and capacity,

which helps to reduce costs and release
resources for other projects.
The company was able to take
advantage of Claxtons extensive riser
inventory to get what it needed quickly.
Claxtons on-site machinery and skilled
engineers were also able to swiftly
deliver bespoke equipment.
Robert Leggett, Decommissioning
Product Leader, Claxton, said, We
really wanted to work with the operator
on its campaign. I am delighted that
we were able to react quickly, including
manufacturing a SABRE system
specifically for the project. It is great to
see this and our casing-recovery
system in two years continuous
service and with more work to do.
The ability of our multi-skilled team to
move from one operation to another
without the need for continuous crew
changes was particularly valued. We
are now collaborating with the client on
new systems and methods of work to
further increase operational efficiency.

27

CASE STUDY 4: DECOMMISSIONING

RISING TO
THE CHALLENGE
OF RIGLESS
SLOT RECOVERY
Claxton delivers innovative solutions
in Denmark

companies and a dive support vessel

from Royal Boskalis Westminster NV.

When Maersk contacted Claxton in April

2013 about a slot recovery job, it was
apparent that the task in the Tyra East
field in the Danish sector of the North Sea
would be a little more complex than the
mechanical removal of casing followed by
drilling a sidetrack well. The original well
was drilled in the 1980s and, during its
construction, a large piece of downhole
equipment, the bottomhole assembly
(BHA), had become stuck in it and
prevented the well from being completed
and contributing to gas production from
the reservoir. Maersks decision to
recover and reuse the slot would involve
removing the BHA.

The programme started by deploying a

specialist casing cutting system to
remove a section of the conductor and
leave the stuck BHA intact but exposed.
This approach called for modification of
the cutting equipment and the subsea
application of a system that is normally
used on the surface.

Claxton had an established relationship

with Maersk for the supply of whipstocks
for slot recovery and, during the initial
consultation, Claxton engineers
suggested a rigless approach, as one of
the project engineers at Claxton
explained. A rigless operation would help
to minimise the cost and provide a more
flexible approach to project timing. This
was critical because the area for the
operation had logistical issues around rig
moves with the potential to greatly
complicate the project.
Claxtons team visited the well in May
2013 to assess the situation and develop
a recovery plan. The BHA stuck in the
conductor pipe was about 15 m long and
had a diameter of 8-9". About 6-9 m of it
was protruding above the seabed.
After working with Maersk to fully assess
the nature of the challenge, Claxton
brought in the multidisciplinary team
needed to deliver the project. This
involved close integration and
collaboration with specialist cutting
28

Once the conductor was cut and

removed, we prepared a bespoke lifting
device using an air hoist on deck
deployed through an A-frame while divers
clamped the lifting gear to the BHA.
The BHA was too heavy to recover in
one piece which meant that it would
have to be cut subsea, the project
engineer continued. We used two sizes
of diamond wire cutting machine, the
smaller to sever only the exposed BHA
and a larger to cut through both the
remaining conductor stump and the
BHA simultaneously. A key consideration
here was making the cut so that it left
a smooth and flush surface on the end
of the conductor. Once the cutting
machine had sliced through the
conductor and BHA, we were able to
recover the top section.

This was a fairly unusual slot recovery

project, the project engineer said, and
that made it quite difficult to estimate
how long it would take to complete.
Our initial plan called for a little over 20
working days, but we managed to
complete it in less than 16 days, a figure
that included more than three days
waiting-on-weather. Naturally, we are
delighted to have successfully completed
the first rigless recovery of a stuck BHA in
the North Sea. The key to the success of
this project was teamwork. The
simultaneous operations were conducted
smoothly and with great efficiency.
The integrated team led by Claxton
delivered the full work scope in only
three months, including designing,
manufacturing and testing the bespoke
equipment. The cooperation between
Claxton, Boskalis, and the Maersk
staff involved on Tyra East made it
possible to deliver what was needed in
a very tight timeframe. The project was
completed ahead of schedule, despite
the weather delay.

The senior drilling engineer from Maersk

drilling department, echoed the
significance of the collaborative approach:
This was a very challenging piece of work
requiring integrated planning across many
departments and companies, not to
mention the extensive amount of design,
manufacturing and testing of equipment
Claxton designed especially for the job in
double-quick time.
Safety and deadlines were the main
concerns for this operation and the
rigless approach saved substantial rig
time and reduced the associated costs
while increasing the flexibility of the
project timings.

During planning, the orientation of the

remaining BHA relative to the conductor
stump was uncertain. This required
Claxton to create a unique whipstock
with a slot beneath the landing plate that
would enable it to capture securely the
exposed part of the BHA in any
orientation. The top half of the whipstock
would rotate on this base and enable the
new well to be kicked off in any direction.
Claxtons experience and knowledge of
whipstock design was the key to
providing an effective engineered solution.
29

CASE STUDY 5: DECOMMISSIONING

YOUR PROJECT NEEDS TO DELIVER.

THE WORLDS
FIRST RIGLESS
PLATFORM WELL
ABANDONMENT

WELL MAKE IT
HAPPEN.

Claxton performed the worlds first

rigless platform well abandonment
over a decade ago developing a
methodology that has subsequently
been used on multiple slot and
conductor recovery projects.

THE PROBLEM
During 2003, a 38-year-old well in the
Southern North Sea was identified as
having suffered a corrosion fatigue failure
of the 20" conductor approximately

6 m below sea level. Consequently, the

well was immediately shut in.

OUR FULL RANGE OF SERVICES

Claxton had already built an impressive

track record of performing platform well
abandonment/slot recovery on the
Maureen, Esmond, Gordon, Beryl and
Rijn platforms, and was an obvious
choice for this well abandonment project.

THE SOLUTION
Claxton provided a conductor recovery
system to interface with the Leman
platform comprising lifting support
beams, boom cranes and a hydraulic
jacking system. Much of this equipment
was bespoke for the project and
Claxton fast tracked this design and
build activity to meet a tight weather
window, as the operator was concerned
the conductor would not survive the
harsh North Sea winter.

ONSHORE
OPERATIONS

THE RESULT
Claxton, working with other Acteon
companies, successfully completed a
totally rigless well abandonment on
the normally unmanned platform. This
was achieved within the allotted
timeframe. All of the following activities
were performed without using a rig:

OFFSHORE
OPERATIONS

Downhole perforating and

cementing operations
Subsea tree removal and tubing
severance and recovery
Severance of the casing strings
below the mudline
Recovery of the casing string.
The operator indicated that the overall
operation was achieved at less than
50% of the cost of an equivalent
rig-based solution.
30

31

MAKING
DECOMMISSIONING
HAPPEN.
Proven experience combined with world-class design
and project delivery mean you can trust Claxton to
make your offshore decommissioning happen.

UK HEAD OFFICE

DUBAI

SINGAPORE

Claxton
Bureside House
North River Road
Great Yarmouth
Norfolk, NR30 1TE
UK

Claxton
PO Box 262490
Jebel Ali Free Zone
Gate 5, South Side
FZS1 AL05
Dubai

Claxton
107 Tuas South Avenue 8
Offshore Marine Center
637036 Singapore

T: +44 (0) 1493 744500

E: info@claxtonengineering.com
ABERDEEN

T: +971 4 8863540
E: dubai@claxtonengineering.com
NORWAY

Claxton
Tern Place House, Tern Place
Bridge of Don
Aberdeen
Scotland
AB23 8JX

Claxton
c/o Finnestadgeilen 11, Building 18
Dusavik Base, N - 4029
Stavanger
Norway

T: +44 (0) 1224 452371

E: aberdeen@claxtonengineering.com

T: +47 51 83 66 74
E: norway@claxtonengineering.com

@ClaxtonNews

T: +65 6705 5825

E: singapore@claxtonengineering.com

Claxton Engineering

Learn more at:

www.claxtonengineering.com
Tel: +44 (0)1493 744500

www.claxtonengineering.com