Decommissioning of Oil and Gas Structures in the North Sea
Since the development of gas and oil reserves in the North Sea, there have been many offshore structures erected to extract these fuels. The water in the North Sea can be quite hostile and conditions are very harsh so there is a lot of expertise required in this area especially when it comes to decommissioning. North Sea structures have been around for quite some time and many of them are coming to the end of their lives so decommissioning is necessary.
When it comes to decommissioning North Sea structures, there are strict regulations in place and a decommissioning programme must be adhered to. By following this decommissioning programme, oil and gas companies can ensure the public that they are committed to safeguarding the environment and that they are being responsible. In 1999 the Maureen field stopped production and a formal decommissioning plan was submitted. This was the first main oil field in the North Sea to be earmarked for decommissioning.
North Sea oil structures are extremely difficult to decommission as mentioned before because they are based in hostile waters where conditions are very harsh. This means that it will take quite some time for these jobs to be completed and in many cases, the costs can be very high. When it comes to decommissioning North Sea structures it is necessary for the company involved to take a lot of care to ensure that the environment is protected as well as the people doing the work.
It is very important to realise that it is a very dangerous job to decommission an oil or gas rig because there are very hazardous materials used. Those working on decommissioning are risking their lives to make sure this job is done correctly. There are also the health implications for later life to take into account especially when dealing with chemicals such as asbestos.
The size of the oil or gas structure will determine the length of time that it takes for decommissioning to be complete. This will also be affected by any problems that might arise and when decommissioning North Sea structures, the harsh conditions also need to be taken into account.
Many of these structures can be floated away to a mainland base where they can be decommissioned easier but for a number of structures, the job is trickier because they have to be dismantled at sea. This requires more work and more costs. The job of decommissioning North Sea structures can be made all the more tricky depending on the time of year and the weather conditions.