A jack-up rig sporting legs more than 200 metres in height has today (11 February) become the largest ever vessel to visit Port of Aberdeen.
The Noble Innovator offshore rig arrived at the new £400 million Aberdeen South Harbour for a 60 – 90 day period of maintenance by Noble Corporation.

Once the maintenance is completed, it will go on contract with bp for decommissioning work in the central North Sea.

The maintenance work scope will benefit Aberdeen’s economy and job creation through a multi-million pound investment in local contract awards, where selected vendors will support the maintenance work such as diving, welding, inspection, painting, scaffolding, accommodation, catering, logistics and many more.

Operations at South Harbour are well underway with very high utilisation of berths and the operational quayside areas to date. Construction of South Harbour is scheduled to complete in Q2 2023, which will make Aberdeen the largest berthage port in Scotland.

Roddy James, Chief Commercial Officer, Port of Aberdeen, said: “It’s exciting to welcome new types and sizes of vessels to the port, be that from oil and gas, renewables, cargo, or cruise. South Harbour’s tidally unrestricted deepwater berths, extensive laydown space and heavy lift capacity, make Aberdeen an attractive option for larger vessels.

“The expanded Port of Aberdeen, across North Harbour and South Harbour, now offers customers even greater flexibility for their projects, with a focus on reducing risk, adding value, and minimising cost.”

Claus Bachmann, VP of Operations, Noble Corporation, said: “We are excited that the new South Harbour facilities have made it possible for one of our rigs to visit Aberdeen for the first time ever. The Noble Innovator is stopping by for a so-called special periodic survey which rigs must undergo every five years to ensure that we are able to operate safely, and which will involve multiple local suppliers in the extensive maintenance scope.”

Doris Reiter, Senior Vice President, bp North Sea, said: “The business decisions bp is taking today continue to positively impact the economy of Aberdeen, as they have for nearly 60 years. Our contract with Noble supports the supply chain to seize opportunities on our doorstep and demonstrate its world-class decommissioning capabilities.”