Pipeline decommissioning specialist invests in new facility near Aberdeen

A pipeline decommissioning specialist is targeting potential North Sea clients after opening a new facility near Aberdeen.

Decom Engineering has invested more than £250,000 to set up a base at Potterton near Dyce - strategically located to be closer to North Sea oil and gas clients.

The facility, which extends to some 6,000 square feet, will be used for equipment testing and storage, as well as hosting customer trials days. It will allow faster deployment of Decom’s assets to clients working in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS).

Chief executive Sean Conway said: “We are delighted to extend our footprint with this new Aberdeen presence, which adds to our existing capability in Holland and our headquarters in Belfast.

Decom Engineering’s managing director Sean Conway at the firm’s new Aberdeen base. Picture: Rory Raitt

“This investment gives us a platform for significant growth in 2022 and beyond by offering more direct and speedier access to existing North Sea clients and a large number of potential new customers who operate in the UKCS and international oil and gas markets.”

To mark the expansion, the firm has issued a “chopsaw challenge” - promising that its machinery will cut through piping materials which may have defeated other cutting systems.

Operations director Nick McNally said: “Our chop saws are capable of working in the harshest working conditions on varying pipe diameters and material composition. We are confident they are capable of clean-cutting through the most challenging materials, regardless of the coating the pipeline is encased in.”

The company’s technologies have been deployed on international decommissioning projects where oil and gas operators have to replace or remove ageing subsea infrastructure and redundant assets.

A recent hat-trick of contract wins valued at more than £400,000 includes a six-month campaign in the Gulf of Thailand on behalf of a global oil and gas operator .

Conway added: “Even in the initial weeks of opening in Aberdeen we are enjoying a return on investment. Previously, we would have to hire premises to host technology demonstrations, but the clients visiting Potterton are benefitting from this greater flexibility which better suits their requirements.

“The ability to store our own equipment closer to clients’ operations and to have it at the ready for faster deployment is a real bonus.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We’re more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers. If you haven’t already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription: www.scotsman.com/subscriptions