Decommissioning Insight 2015

The spread of activity across the timeframe is less consistent than in 2014, with peak years of removal activity forecast in 2017 and 2020 (16 and 14 NUIs, respectively). Oil & Gas UK expects activity to smooth out as forecasts are revisited. As seen last year, removal activity is forecast to decline towards the end of the survey timeframe. Years with high numbers of removals often coincide with greater pipeline decommissioning activity seen in section 7.4. Some of the platforms included in the surveymay represent key processing hubs for the region. Tomeet government and industry objectives of maximising economic recovery from the UKCS, it is important that key infrastructure is not decommissioned prematurely. As such, a Southern North Sea PILOT Rejuvenation Work Group was established to carry out a joint industry project to understand the remaining reserves and resource base in this region and to identify how best to protect reserves and enable maturation into development opportunities. The work aims to create a blueprint of what the area will look like in ten years’ time and assess whether incentives are required to extend the region’s life. The next phase of work will be led by the Oil and Gas Authority’s area manager for the SNS. Figure 18: Forecast Number of Topside Modules and Topside Weight to be Removed in the Southern North Sea and Irish Sea by Facility Type

1

2

3

4

5

25

25,000

Increased Uncertainty in Forecasts

Platforms NUIs Number of Topside Modules

6

20

20,000

7

15

15,000

8

10

10,000

Tonnes to be Removed

Number of Topside Modules

5

5,000

9

0

0

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

Source: Oil & Gas UK

Weight (Tonnes) 2015 to 2024

Number 2015 to 2024

Total Expenditure 2015 to 2024

Topside removal

78,900

66modules on 57 platforms

£250million

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