UHP Solutions were contracted by the PTTEP oil company during the later months of 2010 to remove large windows in wells H3 and H4 on the Montara oil platform after the fire in 2009. The platform is located in the Timor Sea of the Western Australian coast.
To ensure a minimal ignition source UHP Solutions used a technique known as abrasive water jet cutting. Equipment consisted of one high pressure water pump and other associated tools including a specialised jig manufacture at the UHP Solutions premises located in Perth WA.
All equipment was loaded into a 10ft DNV rated sea container and prepared for road transport to Broome in the far North West. All PTTEP team personnel were then flown to Broome for boarding of the NOR Captain. The Nor Captain is 210ft tender vessel with a load space of 450 square meters and a load weight capacity of 800t.
After two days steaming the PTTEP teams arrived at the Montara oil field and prepared for WHP barrier clarification works.
Day 3 on the field and the UHP team was asked to prepare the H4 well for cutting operations. The well was prepared and the abrasive water jet task began. Two holes were cut into the top of the plate to be removed and a D shackle was put in place for lifting.
Two horizontal cuts of 160 deg around the well and two vertical cuts of 1700mm were placed to allow for the removal of the 700kg window.
All UHP works were performed twice with accuracy, safety and on time.
