Improving Decommissioning Through Secondary Usage of Platforms
Decommissioning of platforms can often be a troublesome task, with opposition from environmental campaigners and various regulations preventing oil drilling companies from simply leaving a rig dormant in the ocean. Conversely, it is not sustainable for a company to provide on-going maintenance for an offshore rig after its useful lifespan has expired. For many companies, it is then a case of undertaking the somewhat difficult process of not only removing the rig itself but also ensuring that any environmental imbalances caused by its presence are rectified as quickly as possible.
Instead of taking down a rig altogether, many oil drilling companies are now willing to consider secondary usage of the platforms. It is sometimes possible to deconstruct a rig at one location and rebuild it elsewhere to continue using it for the intended purpose. However, as oil drilling becomes more difficult with most of the ‘easier’ wells already used, most rigs are heavily customised, making them likely to be unsuitable for use elsewhere.
One of the most prevalent suggestions for use of abandoned rigs is within the marine research area. Old rigs are highly coveted by such scientists, as they provide a readymade platform that can be used to house offices and laboratories, directly in the middle of the wildlife that they are looking to analyse. Fishermen also support such an idea, although for different reasons.
An abandoned rig generally attracts marine wildlife as it provides a simple area in which for the fish and other creatures to set up home. For marine biologists, this gives them an unprecedented opportunity to observe different species in effectively a natural habitat without technically needing to leave dry land. The view of fishermen is that an abandoned rig will eventually attract enough fish to make it something of a gold mine for catching certain species. In this case, the rig acts as an artificial reef, serving to increase the bio productivity of the surrounding area, making it popular in many areas around the world.
Alternatively, a rig can be reused even if it is not left in its current position. Regardless of the science and technology that went into construction, the owner is left with a lot of expensive materials when the rig is deconstructed. One of the most famous examples of this was Brent Spar in the North Sea. The rig’s abandonment was a drawn out process that involved numerous companies and opinions from around the area, with the original plan being to simply sink the platform. However, ultimately, the platform was deconstructed onshore, with the majority of the recycled materials used to build new ferry facilities at a port in Norway, vastly reducing the expense of the Port Authority in the area.