Port of Cromarty Firth (PoCF) has reached a new milestone with the return of a giant semi-submersible vessel, Well-Safe Defender.
The massive structure is 308ft long and 206ft high.
Her arrival is the 750th oil rig visit for the deep, sheltered waters of the North Sea inlet.
Previously named WilPhoenix, the huge vessel is undergoing scheduled maintenance and repair works in the firth following a North Sea decommissioning project.
It comes about a year after she had left the Highland port for well plugging and abandonment work on the Trees and Chestnut fields in a contract with Spirit Energy.
Port of Cromarty Firth has supported Scotland’s oil and gas industry from the start
The Cromarty Firth has been a leading location for inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM) work on semi-submersible and jack-up rigs since the early years of the North Sea oil boom in the 1970s.
Its latest milestone comes in year when PoCF is celebrating its 50th year as a trust port.
We are proud of the part we have played and continue to play in supporting North Sea energy industries and encouraging economic activity in the area.”
PoCF chief Executive, Bob Buskie, said: “The firth has long been recognised throughout Europe and further afield as key location for IRM projects as this 750th rig visit to the area underlines.
“Half a century on from our establishment as a trust port, we are proud of the part we have played and continue to play in supporting North Sea energy industries and encouraging economic activity in the area.”
‘World-class; engineering skills
He added: “People and companies in the supply chain around the firth also have every reason to be proud.
“The engineering skills local workers have are world-class and the firms operating here have provided a hub of activity – creating employment opportunities and benefiting the Highland economy.”
The port’s key role in the North Sea oil and gas industry stretches back to February 1978, when the first drilling rig, Transworld 78, arrived in the firth.
Transworld 58, which spent 33 days there in the same year, is believed to have produced the North Sea’s first oil. Later renamed the North Sea Pioneer, the rig returned to the firth to undergo further IRM projects in 1984 and 1988.
Well-Safe Defender is owned and operated by Aberdeen-based decommissioning specialist Well-Safe Solutions, which acquired the rig from Awilco Drilling in 2022.
Neil Ferguson, operations director, Well-Safe Solutions, said: “We’re thrilled to be the 750th vessel to use the port. Preparation is key to any project of this scale, and we’re thankful for the collaboration and support of the PoCF team throughout the rig’s stay.
“Well-Safe Solutions is now under way with regularly scheduled maintenance and repair works ahead of our next well decommissioning campaign, using the excellent facilities at the port.”
Conversation