Energy giant Shell has submitted proposals to the government for the decommissioning of its Brent field.
The announcement came as the Scottish Government unveiled a £5million pound fund aimed to kickstart the process.
Here, Energy Voice looks at some of the mixed reactions that the two announcements have provoked.
The day started with Shell’s announcement that it had submitted draft decommissioning proposals to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
The oil supermajor declared the move an “important milestone” in the history of its operations in the Brent field.
The firm is asking for permission to leave the giant legs of three of its four Brent field platforms in the North Sea, along with sediment in the storage cells, drill cuttings and heavier pipelines.
The lower part of the Alpha platform’s steel jacket would also be left behind.
Shell’s announcement came just hours before Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon launched a £5million fund for North Sea decommissioning.
The Decommissioning Challenge Fund (DCF) arrived with the promise of more funds to come in future years.
But that was not enough for some.
Scottish Labour’s Jackie Baillie said the sum would “barely be a drop in the ocean in the grand scheme of things“.
And Unite the union expressed fears that the Scottish Government was jumping the gun on decommissioning.
The announcements came against the backdrop of a warning from oil tycoon Sir Ian Wood.
He said the industry is on track only to recover the lower estimates of North Sea reserves and called for more action to be take to maximise recovery.
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