OEEC: Decommissioning – we are in it together

During the Technical Session titled ‘Decommissioning: Status and Regulations’ at Offshore Energy Exhibition and Conference (OEEC), four speakers looked at different facets of this relatively new business.

As we all know the decommissioning of offshore installations is both a cost burden to operators and a potential job and profit machine to contractors and service providers and that was reflected in the crowd.

Moderator of this Technical Session was Roger Esson, Chief Executive Decom North Sea, the decommissioning industry’s only independent members organisation. He spoke about the need to collaborate and cooperate. ‘We are all in this together’.

Dirk Jan van Orden, General Manager Legal and Government Relations, Petrogas E&P Netherlands was the first speaker. He spoke about the legal challenges and briefly gave an overview of the national regulations in Denmark, the UK and the Netherlands. ‘Continued stability in regulatory environment is required, just as collaboration between all stakeholders.’

Next in line was David Buchmiller, Senior Engineer DNV GL Oil & Gas Norway. He shared his expertise on the subject of well abandonment and that not every plug-up is the same. ‘I believe in fit-for-purpose solutions. There is a large savings potential using risk-based well P&A as well as for technological developments that comes with it.’

Third speaker was Eric Kreft, Lead Decommissioning EBN. He explained the idea behind Netherlands Masterplan Decommissioning & Re-use. The objective of this plan is to provide clarity what needs to be done by whom to successfully decommission and re-use the Dutch E&P infrastructure. ‘The four priority topics in the 100-days plan are; a national platform, a Dutch decom database, regulation and shared learnings’.

Last but not least the stand was for Aart Geurtsen, project coordinator ENGIE. He spoke about future decom projects of his company and when he showed a map with the current and upcoming platforms that have to be decommissioned, the several members of the public grabbed their telephones to make a picture. Also interesting his plan for a rigs-to-reefs concept on the on the Dutch continental shelf. ‘Jackets that are left in sea can be the future hotspots for marine life.’

Source: Navingo BV