BP, CNR and Perenaco have become the first North Sea operators to apply a standardised template for decommissioning redundant production facilities on the UK Continental Shelf.
Decommissioning industry body Decom North Sea claims that introduction of the common process heralds a “step-change” for the industry after being formally endorsed by the UK regulators and successfully road tested on three different types of asset. It should help reduce the cost of removing dead infrastructure.
DNS has developed the template in partnership with the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and an industry work-group.
The intent is to help streamline and standardise way in which decommissioning programmes ware conducted while still fully satisfying regulatory requirements.
First to trial the template was BP with its Schiehallion floating production unit decommissioning programme, which is a precursor to redevelopment of the West of Shetland field, which is core to the Quad 204 project.
CNR is currently working with the template to set out its plans for removal of the Murchison field platform. And Southern North Sea player Perenco is using it as preparations are made to abandon the Thames gas platforms complex.
Alistair Corbett, BP’s decom projects manager, said: “The Schiehallion programme was approved in June by DECC, using the new template. Though it was only officially issued for use in January, we were given permission in December to trial it.
“That meant seven months from initiation to approval, compared to up to three years in the case of Miller – also the document ended up only 42 pages in length. This equates to a major saving in man-hours and project delivery schedule and demonstrates the success of a joint oil industry and governmental co-operation project.”
When the template was put out for consultation, more than 50 responses were received, with feedback collated into a final draft document by DECC and DNS, which was reviewed again by the workgroup before being finalised.
Operators are being encouraged to trial it during 2013 and feedback from those users will be used to further improve the template. It is hoped that the template’s use for non-derogation cases will become mandatory in 2014.
DNS CEO Brian Nixon said: “Ultimately, it will reduce costs to the public purse whilst maintaining the integrity and transparency of the decommissioning process.”
It is hoped that, in time, the template could also be adapted for use in other European countries.
Recommended for you
