Massive Brent Bravo oil platform makes dramatic arrival into Hartlepool's Seaton Port

The huge Brent Bravo platform has been transported into Able UK’s dock on the outskirts of Seaton Carew and work will start next week to decommission the massive structure.

Peter Stephenson, founder and executive chairman of Able UK, said: “Once again we have demonstrated thnat we are a world leader in the marine decomissioning industry which is set to grow rapidly in the years ahead.”

Brent Bravo stands 410ft-tall 230ft-wide and is the second platform from the Shell Brent field to be decommissioned at Able Seaton Port.

After arriving off the North East coast, the Brent Bravo was transferrered to a 200m-long barge The Iron Lady for a final part of the journey along the Seaton Channel to Able Seaton Port where it is now moored.

Next week the final manoeuvre will see the platform ‘skidded’ onto the multi-million pound demolition pad which forms what bosses say is probably the strongest quay in Europe.

Mr Stephenson added: “The Brent decommissioning project is the most significant project of its type to date and the fact that Able was selected against an initial long list of 131 potential disposal yards demonstrated the reputation we have established.

“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% of the structure.”

The structure was transported from the oilfield off the Shetlands on Allseas’ record-breaking heavy lift and pipelay vessel Pioneering Spirit.

Brent Bravo is the second of four platforms, after Brent Delta in 2017, to be decommissioned and removed from the Brent oil and gas field.

On both occasions Shell UK utilised Pioneering Spirit’s revolutionary single lift, motion-compensated technology.

Able invested £28m in constructing the facility to decommission the structure.

During 2020 Able Seaton Port will welcome a number of other projects including the next element of the Shell project and other platforms from off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada.