Multi-area vessel decontamination at a North Wales gas terminal – confined-space, benzene-risk work delivered over a 70-day winter programme, with all vessels certified clean, waste fully compliant, and the decommissioning schedule kept on track.
Sector: Onshore gas processing / decommissioning
Location: Point of Ayr, North Wales, UK
Client: Major energy operator (anonymised)
Services: Confined-space vessel cleaning, benzene-risk decontamination, HP jetting, hot-wash, industrial vacuuming, waste management
Overview
As part of decommissioning at a gas terminal in North Wales, the operator needed vessels across the glycol, refrigeration and sulphur recovery areas decontaminated to a certified clean status. The work had to support safe dismantling and provide compliant waste routes for all residues.
Sureclean delivered a 70-day programme of confined-space vessel cleaning under strict environmental and safety controls, handing back all systems clean, certified and ready for decommissioning.
The Challenge
The project required:
- Decontamination of multiple vessels across several process areas
- Confined-space and benzene-risk entry, with continuous gas monitoring and rescue readiness
- Full environmental and regulatory compliance from segregation to licensed waste carriers
- Delivery during winter conditions, with snow and ice disrupting access
- The ability to respond when unexpected residual waste volumes were discovered in tanks previously thought to be empty
The operator needed a partner who could keep the overall decommissioning schedule on track while managing risk and compliance.
Sureclean’s Solution
Sureclean designed and executed a site-wide decontamination plan, built around:
- Strict permits and isolations with continuous gas monitoring and rescue cover for all confined-space entries
- High-pressure water jetting, hot-wash and industrial vacuuming tailored to each vessel and process service
- Winterised planning – pausing work during snow and ice to protect personnel, then resuming only when conditions and risks were fully controlled
- Clear hose routing, supervisor coaching and consistent standards across all teams and shifts
- Close coordination with site operations to sequence vessel access, cleanliness checks and waste movements without disrupting other decommissioning activities
When large unexpected waste volumes were identified in certain tanks, Sureclean:
- Mobilised additional containers at short notice
- Managed all containment, sampling, transport and disposal
- Absorbed the extra work without impacting the overall programme.
Results
The campaign delivered:
- Incident-free delivery over 70 days
- All vessels cleaned and certified, with full records retained for audits and decommissioning handover
- Full environmental and regulatory compliance, from on-site segregation through to licensed waste carriers
- Decommissioning schedule maintained, with transparent communication keeping all stakeholders aligned
- Successful management of unexpected waste volumes without delay, thanks to flexible resourcing and in-house waste expertise
What this shows about Sureclean
This project demonstrates Sureclean’s ability to deliver complex, multi-area vessel decontamination in a live decommissioning environment:
- Confined-space, benzene-risk work under tight safety and environmental control
- Integrated cleaning and waste management that protects both people and programme
- The resilience to adapt to changing conditions – from winter weather to surprise waste – while still handing over certified-clean vessels with zero incidents.
