Curlew exit prompts debate

A Scottish politician said yesterday he was “deeply disappointed” that an oil production vessel which has sat in Dundee for a year will be dismantled in Norway.

North-east Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald claimed the work could have been done at a number of Scottish locations with deep anchorages and dry docks “had they been given the opportunity to tender”.

Mr Macdonald called for “action” to help Scottish yards win more North Sea oil and gas decommissioning work.

Operator Shell originally intended to take the Curlew floating production vessel to Turkey for scrapping once it had been cleaned up by Augean in Dundee.

But Shell said in February Augean had been unable to complete the clean-up as Dundee did not have the required ship recycling facilities. Shell said at the time that Curlew would be taken to a different location for dismantling, final cleaning and recycling.

AF Gruppen subsequently announced it had won the contract and would dismantle Curlew at its Vats base in Rogaland, Norway.

A spokesman for Shell said yesterday that the deal had been awarded to AF after an “extensive competitive tendering exercise”.

He added: “Our priority is to recycle Curlew safely, responsibly and efficiently.”

AF’S yard has carried out a number of major decommissioning jobs involving vessels which served UK North Sea fields, including the Murchison and Janice platforms.

Mr Macdonald asked Scottish Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop to explain what steps ministers had taken to engage with Shell in an effort to keep the work in Scotland.

Ms Hyslop said Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse was “actively engaged” with all oil companies and that the oil and gas and energy transition strategic leadership group he chairs had been “looking at” the issue.

Cessford. Picture: Kim The Curlew arrived in Dundee for decommissioning almost exactly a year ago.