MSF, Topsides, Jacket and Piles.
Union Oil Company of Great Britain awarded the Heather Alpha project to J. Ray McDermott Inc., the parent company of McDermott Scotland. The McDermott organisation was contracted to design, fabricate, install, and hook up the production facilities. McDermott Hudson Engineering performed design work in London. Fabrication of the Jacket, Piling, Module Support Frame, and Production Modules took place at Ardersier. McDermott’s Oceanic Contractors Division conducted the Jacket installation. The topside Modules were initially sized to fit the lifting capacity of the McDermott Derrick Barge DB22. However, larger capacity lifting vessels became available during the project, enabling some consolidation of the Topside Modules into larger lifts during fabrication. The offshore campaign commenced in June 1977 when DB22 installed the jacket. The Topsides installation by Heerema’s Odin with 3,500 Tonne lifting capacity was completed in the spring of 1978. Hook-up by McDermott’s Oceanic Offshore Services followed with first oil produced in October 1978. Production ceased in 2019, with topsides removal and partial substructure removal scheduled for 2025.