18th October by Jane Goult
px Group, the operator of several critical energy infrastructure sites in the UK and Europe, can today announce that it has been awarded a long-term multi-year contract to operate the SEAL pipeline, a critical component of the UK energy supply and energy security.
The contract was awarded to Energy24, a px Group business, by TotalEnergies E&P UK Limited, and px Group began taking on operations on August 1st 2022.
The pipeline is 474km long with a diameter of 34 inches and has been operational for more than 20 years. The SEAL pipeline transports sales quality gas from the Elgin Franklin platform in the Central Graben Area of the North Sea to the dedicated SEAL module at the Bacton gas terminal on the Norfolk coast.
With the addition of this contract, px is now responsible for managing commercial operations of approximately 40% of the UK gas supply.
Using the latest IT cloud technology, px Group will operate and manage the SEAL pipeline via a number of cloud applications. The project also included the recruitment and training of a full complement of shift personnel along with the project management of building, testing and operating the new control infrastructure.
px Group is now responsible for the 24/7 operations of the pipeline. Included in px Group’s remit is the following:
- Pipeline Commercial Operations
- Pipeline Monitoring
- Shipper Services
- Hydrocarbon Allocation/Accounting
- Continuous Improvement
- Project Management
Along with owning and operating the Saltend Chemicals Park, this new contract adds to an international portfolio of critical energy operations and maintenance contracts. The portfolio includes the St Fergus Gas Terminal in Scotland, the Teesside Gas Processing Plant in England, and the Risavika Liquefaction Plant in Norway, which are all operated and maintained by px Group on behalf of North Sea Midstream Partners, the owner of the assets.
Geoff Holmes continues: “px Group takes enormous pride in taking operational ownership of essential energy assets such as these. We apply our ‘owner-operator’ approach to everything we do for our clients, which means we treat the assets as if they were our own, ensuring they’re being run as safely, effectively and efficiently as possible.”
“We’re also excited to be using the latest Cloud technology to operate and manage the SEAL pipeline demonstrating the strength of digital capability within the organisation.”
