Decommissioning Insight 2018

DECOMMISSIONING INSIGHT 2018

5.4 Regulation The UK also has the opportunity to set precedents in decommissioning regulation. As one of the most mature areas in the decommissioning market in terms of work conducted, other areas are looking to the UK for guidance on how these activities can be effectively regulated. The regulatory landscape has been constantly growing as understanding develops. The OGA was formed in 2015, and now provides more focus on the costs associated with decommissioning, while BEIS presented updated decommissioning guidance notes in 2018 to incorporate current practice and provide clarifications to the 2013 revision. Following the 2018 revision, the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED) — a division of BEIS — is planning a regular review cycle to ensure that learnings from ongoing decommissioning activities can be embodied in its Guidance. Similarly, ahead of the five-yearly review of Decision 98/3 in 2018, OPRED shared its experience of applying the Decision with the OSAPR Offshore Industries Committee (OIC). 3 This experience in applying the 10,000-tonne criteria for identifying candidate structure for derogation under Decision 98/3 led to further clarification on its application. 4 The OIC agreed with OPRED that it is the weight of the structure in situ, including the piles and grout, which determines the technical difficulty of the removal and should be used to determine if derogation is appropriate. Another area where the UK could compete globally in decommissioning is in the responsible handling of waste. As the decommissioning sector grows, industry and regulators are continually seeking to optimise the responsible management of the resulting waste streams. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), for example, is working with the sector to ensure environmental protection and sustainability are at the heart of the regulations around onshore disposal activities.

Setting a high standard with clear regulation will enable others around the world to follow suit.

3 OSPAR’s Offshore Industries Committee is the body responsible for reviewing Decision 98/3 every five years. 4 OSPAR Decision 98/3 prohibits the dumping, and leaving wholly or partly in place, of disused offshore installations. Companies can apply to leave infrastructure in place (derogation) in the case of steel installation weighing more than ten thousand tonnes in air; gravity based concrete installations; floating concrete installations; any concrete anchor-base which results, or is likely to result, in interference with other legitimate users of the sea.

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