Wireline Issue 44 - Spring 2019

Image left: Decommissioning manager Joe Leask addresses the Offshore Decommissioning Conference in November 2018.

News

good practice, and to improve industry environmental management.

The general conditions of contract for offshore decommissioning covers complete decommissioning of infrastructure, from cessation of production to delivery of structures to shore. It is available from the LOGIC website. Commenting on the release, LOGIC managing director Graham Elgie said: “This model contract developed by Oil & Gas UK’s Legal Issues Forum provides companies and their contractors with a framework for working towards commercial agreements in a timely, co- operative and effective manner. This couldn’t have been achieved without the support and expertise provided by industry, particularly the members on our Decommissioning Task Finish Group.”

Environment Report 2018

2017 saw a reduction of 3 per cent in the volume of produced water discharged to sea during oil and gas production compared to 2016, although the total amount of dispersed oil contained in the produced water discharged rose slightly to 2,140 tonnes. Meanwhile, reinjection of produced water increased by 10 per cent on the year and is at its highest recorded level. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per installation were lower in 2017 than in 2016. Industry’s GHG emissions contribute around 3 per cent of the total UK emissions, the same proportion as in 2016. Over the same period carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the UKCS saw an increase from 13.1 million tonnes in 2016 to 14.2 million tonnes in 2017, although the sector’s long-term trend for CO2 emissions continues to fall. Commenting on the report, Oil & Gas UK environment manager Katie Abbott said: “The UK Continental Shelf is a mature and complex basin, and the challenges that accompany the production of hydrocarbons here mean that the data outlined in this report are equally complex. “While innovative technology is contributing to environmental performance, through enhanced oil recovery which includes produced water re-injection, and the reduction in associated gas flared, challenges remain in other aspects. “With that in mind, this annual report provides an opportunity for industry to review environmental performance indicators, reflect on the compliant practices and focus on areas where there are opportunities to drive further improvements.”

The 2018 Environment Report was launched in December 2018, providing an update on the environmental landscape of the UK offshore oil and gas industry to the end of 2017. The report analyses and interprets data gathered and monitored by the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED), and considers performance across a range of areas including emissions to atmosphere, chemical discharge, waste disposal and produced water. The insight also provides a summary of activities undertaken by Oil & Gas UK groups over the last year to support the development of new environmental legislation, to share lessons learnt and

To find out more, download a copy of the Environment Report 2018 now.

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