The platform was removed from its position in the North Sea last summer, refloated, and towed inshore and moored in the Digernes Sound off Aker Stord's yard for inspection and cleaning.

Phillips has been studying the potential for full or partial re-use of the platform for some time, and carried out a thorough assessment of what would be the best solution from an environmental point of view.

The decision to re-use parts of the Maureen platform as a quay came from Aker Maritime, who believe that the platform's solid ballast will form an excellent foundation for the new quay at Aker Stord.

The project is also innovative for another reason. PCBs that originated in ships' antifouling and drilling fluids has been found in the sediment within the harbour basin at Stord, so the contaminated mud will be recovered, packed into polyesterreinforced wrappings, and placed deep within the quay behind more fibre wrapping and a layer of sand and stone.

Doing so will also help to create a barrier which, it is anticipated, should prevent any other pollution in the seabed from entering the water column.

The plan for a new quay has been approved by the local authorities, and is being considered by the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority.

Installed on the UK field in 1983, the Maureen platform produced 223 million barrels of oil, and was designed in such a way that it could be decommissioned and removed in an 'environmentally friendly' manner.