Page 86: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Aug/Sep 2014)

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The roadmap to retiring

More than £40 billion is expected to be spent on decommissioning in the next 25 years in UK waters alone. looks at how viewing decommissioning as Dorothy Burke new phase in an asset’s life-cycle could help better plan these complex projects. nowing where you are going and presents challenges for the owners and “appraise, select, defne, and execute” how you are going to get there operators, while offering major business approach does not adequately address

K is important. Whether going on opportunities for engineering consul- the unique features of decommissioning. business trip, or executing a multi-mil- tants, contractors, and service specialists. A series of workshops facilitated by

Decom North Sea (DNS) with a group Offshore decommissioning is a com- lion pound contract, the outcome of the summarised in a decommissioning pro- of operator and contractor members, is plex series of activities, each calling journey and its ultimate success is due to gram, which is submitted to government discussing decommissioning or “retiring” for its own level of skill and expertise. preparation and planning. (the Department of Energy and Climate an asset as a new phase in its life-cycle, From operations to communications, A Decision Roadmap ensures you Change) using a standard template for- rather than treating it as a new project. engineering to legislation, each strand is make sound decisions about every stage mat, which DNS worked with industry

The proposed retire-phase recognizes the vital. Understanding how a platform was of that journey. You need to identify and DECC to create.

transition from operation to decommis- installed, how it was operated, and the the viable options and take actions In contrast, at the moment there are no sioning. This distinction, while seem- expectations for when it reaches the end to progress the project, but you must standard planning processes or proce- ingly small, will enable the industry to of its life is a collaborative process which choose the right options based on sound dures in place to manage the transition look at things differently and help plan, requires transparent knowledge share. reasoning, rather than being left with from operations to decommissioning, communicate, prepare for, and manage Decommissioning is seen by many as only one option due to poor planning. and there is no documented toolbox for the decommissioning effort. reverse engineering, essentially decon- Understanding what is important, gather- managing this series of events. There is

The transition period from operations structing an installation. However, it ing the correct information and involving however, consistency in the decisions to decommissioning occurs over a period is being increasingly recognized that the right people is vital. that need to be made, the timing at which of time. Each asset is unique, but the decommissioning is actually very differ- Since the 1970s, through careful plan- these should be considered, and the same options require consideration. Not ent from the capital investment projects ning and collaboration, the North Sea oil key enablers for decommissioning to be all elements of an asset mature at the and not suited to the same “tried and and gas industry has steadily developed successful. same time or pace; some are complete trusted” procedures and process. into one of the strongest and most highly The aim of the initial workshops is to prior to cessation of production (COP), The typical life cycle of an installation regarded clusters in the world. For years, learn from the approaches used by differ- while others occur years after COP. This follows these eight key stages (see image platforms have been maintained and ent companies, identify the gaps in the results in multiple, targeted assessments below): modifed to provide the very best yield, decommissioning planning process, and of readiness, with a complex series of The critical questions are; at what but, it is now recognized that a growing defne what tools may be useful to assist activities to be carried out in a certain point in this cycle is consideration given number of oil and gas assets have either planning during the transition phase. order against a predetermined timescale. to decommissioning and when are plans reached, or are approaching, the end of Elements discussed include planning

When preparing for decommission- best put in place? Many believe that their economic life. In accordance with for 10 years before COP, a strategy matrix, ing, there are a number of options that decommissioning projects need to be current regulations, assets will have to covering scope, control, contracting and the operator must consider. These are managed differently and the traditional be decommissioned and removed. This technology, and a decision road map,

The decision roadmap

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