Environment Report 2014

The largest category of operational waste generated in 2013 comprised sludges, liquids and tank washings. These can be inert or contain traces of hazardous substances and are separated and labelled as such offshore.

1

Sludge disposal involves separating and treating oil, water and solids onshore. The cleaned solids are then sent for disposal to landfill while the separated water is treated to enable discharge to the sewer. Recovered oil is usually reused as a fuel after further treatment. Last year, small volumes of waste were returned onshore from decommissioning activities, the majority of which were segregated recyclables and 30 per cent was scrap metal that was recycled. Decommissioning projects on the UKCS have been achieving recycling rates in excess of 95 per cent in recent years.

2

3

Figure 12: Waste Generated Offshore by Activity on the UK Continental Shelf in 2013

4

0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 80,000 90,000 100,000

Total Disposed Operational

Total Disposed Decommissioning

5

6

Tonnes

7

8

Source: EEMS June 2014

page 27