| Offshore decommissioning of oil and gas facilities | | | | this, in particular, companies with speciality skills in |
| becomes necessary when the useful life of the | | | | water jetting, cleaning, waste management, asbestos |
| structures, or when the fields that they tap into, | | | | removal and so on. All the waste from such an |
| have reached their limits. Oil and gas offshore | | | | operation has to be removed and disposed of and |
| platforms can be a considerable distance from the | | | | this is strictly regulated. They provide project |
| nearest onshore facilities equipped to deal with the | | | | management and technical support, cleaning and/or |
| task of decommissioning, so the task can be a | | | | decontamination consultation, hazard identification, |
| difficult one. | | | | waste management (identification, removal, |
| In the North Sea, most of the oil and gas offshore | | | | treatment, handling and disposal), asbestos |
| installations have been in place for many decades. | | | | management (identification, removal, handling and |
| This means many of the structures are nearing the | | | | disposal), cold cutting of steel, concrete and other |
| end of their useful lives and will need to undergo | | | | composite materials using water jetting, wire and |
| offshore decommissioning. | | | | mechanical methods. Upon CoP (cessation of |
| Offshore decommissioning is not a particularly easy | | | | production) they may carry out preparation for |
| task. In the North Sea this is especially so. The harsh | | | | topsides removal and NUI (normally unattended |
| conditions faced there raise their own special | | | | installation). All the waste from such an operation has |
| problems that have to be overcome. Removing huge | | | | to be removed and disposed of and this is strictly |
| installations from the sea bed where they have lain | | | | regulated. |
| for several decades requires a lot of careful planning. | | | | Despite human ingenuity in getting rigs up and running |
| This activity may also have an impact on the | | | | in the North Sea, it must not be assumed that any |
| environment and the health and safety aspect for | | | | difficulties encountered in decommissioning them can |
| workers is another factor to be taken into | | | | easily be overcome. New technologies are emerging |
| consideration; while the cost of it all is likely to be | | | | all the time to deal with problems that seemed |
| enormous. | | | | insurmountable just a short time ago. Many of the |
| What happens when decommissioning takes place? | | | | structures can be floated away to a mainland base |
| A plan of action is first put forward by the Operator | | | | where decommissioning can be undertaken more |
| who will carry out the dismantling of the structure. | | | | easily. Those structures that cannot be floated away |
| This needs to be approved by the government | | | | can, in most cases, be cut into smaller sections. The |
| before any action can be taken. Once approval is | | | | sections can be placed on barges and towed to land |
| given, the job can start. It will take a number of | | | | where possible. Where this is not possible, offshore |
| years and will involve many different organisations, | | | | decommissioning takes place where the installations |
| each one responsible for a part of the whole. | | | | lie. |
| Many service providers get involved in a project like | | | | |