Shell Canada: Sundown & Groundbirch Decommissioning

Overview

Resolve completed the deactivation and decommissioning of three facilities, including 13 pipelines. The facilities included 23 process buildings, vessels and associated piping, 14 above-ground tanks, 2 communication towers, 3 flare stacks with flare knockout tanks, 1 underground tank, and roughly 700 piles. On-site challenges included Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM), new regulations from WorkSafe BC, weather conditions, and the management of a large and variable number of employees and subcontractors.

Key results

• Supervision of 6–20 personnel over 7,721 hours and 99 days with no lost-time incidents.
• Completed 23 days ahead of schedule.
• Safety compliance with new WorkSafe BC requirements for exposure to hazardous materials such as lead paint, coordinating with Shell and WorkSafe BC on risk assessment and exposure control plans.
• Removal of 95% of NORM from scrap steel on site via a third-party contractor with high-pressure cleaning equipment.
• 13 pipeline abandonments with all required reporting completed.

Supervision and communication were pivotal. Our supervisor led the initial planning phase, personally crafting the schedule after a thorough job assessment. Regular weekly meetings with the client kept all parties informed and allowed challenges to be identified and resolved immediately.