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Regulations in the North Sea

Regulations in the North Sea. Keith Mayo, Head of Offshore Decommissioning, DECC, UK. Date 1/2 October 2009. What is DECC? Set up by the UK Prime Minister in October 2008 Focus is on twin challenges of climate change and energy supply DECC is responsible for UK meeting climate change targets

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Regulations in the North Sea

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  1. Regulations in the North Sea Keith Mayo, Head of Offshore Decommissioning, DECC, UK Date 1/2 October 2009

  2. What is DECC? • Set up by the UK Prime Minister in October 2008 • Focus is on twin challenges of climate change and energy supply • DECC is responsible for UK meeting climate change targets • And for affordable, secure and sustainable energy supplies

  3. Affordable, secure and sustainable energy supplies means - • UK must make the most of its own oil and gas resources • That means encouraging companies to develop all possible reserves whilst discoveries get smaller • So decommissioning liabilities must be managed effectively and responsibly as part of the package of regulations for oil and gas developments

  4. UK industry - some facts • 8 installations with large concrete substructures • 31 with large steel jackets (> 10,000 tes) • 214 other steel jackets • 278 subsea production systems • 21 floating production systems • >15,000 km pipelines • <5,000 wells • <200 cuttings piles

  5. UK industry – decommissioned since 1988 • 3 installations with large concrete substructures • 3 with large steel jackets (> 10,000 tes) • 15 other steel jackets • 7 floating production systems • 2 subsea production systems • 16 pipelines • 10 other facilities (loading buoys, flares etc)

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  10. UK Government obligations • Meet international rules and public expectations • UN Law of the Sea • International Maritime Organisation • OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic • Ensure the companies concerned can do the work • Don’t obstruct future developments and production unreasonably

  11. International Rules • UN Law of the Sea • International Maritime Organisation • OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic

  12. OSPAR Decision 98/3 • Agreed by the 15 members after the Brent Spar incident • UK Government approved disposal of the Spar in a deep sea trench • Shell reversed its plans following Greenpeace campaign • Spar was removed and recycled as foundations for a quayside in Norway

  13. Decision 98/3 requirements • No dumping or leaving in place of installations in the marine environment • Should be brought ashore for re-use, recycling or final disposal • Possible exceptions for large concrete substructures, footings of jackets >10,000 tes, concrete anchor bases and damaged structures. • No requirements for pipelines, wells, subsea facilities

  14. UK Legislation • Petroleum Act 1998 enables DECC to make companies liable for decommissioning • Joint and several liability for all companies concerned • Liability maintained throughout field life; new owners will take liability; may be withdrawn from sellers • DECC can insist on financial security if concerned about ability to pay for decommissioning

  15. Decommissioning Programmes • Petroleum Act requires companies to prepare decommissioning programme • Other regulators and public consulted • Programmes approved after all comments considered • Decisions based on balance of impacts on safety, environment, other users of sea and economics

  16. Financial Security • Trend in North Sea is for smaller companies to develop new fields and take over old assets from majors • DECC can keep liability on original developers if concerned about strength of buyers • DECC can require financial security such as letters of credit • Basic test is whether decommissioning costs more than 50% of company’s shareholders funds

  17. UK Decommissioning Costs • £14 billion for installations • £5 billion for subsea systems • £4 billion for pipelines • £23-25 billion in total

  18. Issues for regulators • Pipelines – leave in place or remove? • Mattresses – leave in place or remove • Drill Cuttings Piles - cover, remove, leave to degrade naturally? • Wells – standards for plug and abandonment • Radioactive scale in pipes and vessels • Re-use of oil and gas facilities for hydrocarbon gas storage, CO2 sequestration • Low carbon decommissioning

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