Decommissioning and Abandonment

4 November 2009 Aberdeen Evening Meeting

Chairman Keith Mayo, Head of Offshore Decommissioning Unit (DECC)
Sponsored by Shell's Brent Decommissioning Project

Report by Chris Milner

Flyer

Presentations

Eamonn Sheehan, NWH Project Lead, BP

The NWH Topsides and Jacket was the single largest platform removed on the UK Continental Shelf. The project was completed on schedule, within budget and there were no serious recordable injuries or incidents. This presentation and short video summarised how this project was executed.

The Challenges of Well Abandonment

Steve Kirby, Consultant, Sasok Ltd

Current assessments of UKCS Decommissioning Liability may have significantly underestimated the challenges presented by the wells' aspects. Historically, the focus has been on removal of structures and subsea infrastructure, less so on wells. The latest published estimates of decommissioning liability stand at £22 billion; wells alone could represent £5–£15 billion. The content of this presentation covered the following areas: conclusions of the O&GUK UK North Sea Well Abandonment Study November 2008; difficulties due to the lack of well architecture records; and appropriate abandonment planning and organisational considerations.

How to Link Marine Salvage and Decommissioning

Bert van der Velden, Manager Innovation & Business Development, SMIT Salvage

SMIT Salvage, as one of the four divisions of SMIT International, operates in the area of marine salvage, environmental care and wreck removal of vessels, as well as offshore structures. The Gulf of Mexico is especially known for its post-hurricane salvage emergency response and recovery projects. Van der Velden explained in this presentation how the salvage business relates to the decommissioning, heavy fit and subsea activites of the SMIT Group, how this contributes to the synergy within the divisions and the benefits for potential customers. Further technological developments in the salvage industry were presented that could be deployed in offshore decommissioning projects (e.g. shipsaw cutting wire system) as well.