0117 offshore permitting

OIL & GAS Offshore Permitting Offshore Platform in the Southern North Sea, UK

Project Summary

Offshore Permitting Offshore Platform in Southern North Sea, UK

Project Value: £128,000 Key Project Elements  PPC Permit Variation  OPPC Permit Variation  EUETS Phase III  BAT Assessment

 Management of Permit Conditions

 Commissioning Emissions Monitoring Plan  Deposits Return Reporting

 DECC Oil Portal

CRA assisted a major oil and gas production company with preparation and submission of multiple permit variation applications related to installation of a new jacket and topside in vicinity of an existing complex in southern North Sea. The new platform housed a compression system for the transfer of natural gas to an on-shore processing facility.

CRA prepared a permit variation application under the Offshore Combustion Installations (Pollution Prevention and Control) Regulations 2013 (PPC). The variation application included a description of the changes, an outline of the qualifying combustion equipment, the emission profiles for the new and existing combustion equipment, a comparison with indicative best available techniques (BAT), an assessment of the environmental impact to the receiving environment, the details on waste generated and disposal methodology, a description of fugitive emissions and a summary of applicable monitoring procedures. CRA worked with the client’s engineers throughout the design phase to ensure the content of the application were up to date and accurate.

CRA also prepared a permit variation application under the Offshore Petroleum Activities (Oil Pollution Prevention and Control) Regulations 2005 (as amended) (OPPC) for the produced water overboard discharge, produced water re-injection, drainage system (hazardous and non-hazardous) discharge and sand and scale discharge. The variation application was developed per the newly introduced Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) Oil Portal requirements. As such, the variation also included updating of the information previously included in the permit applications. The OPPC permit variation application included a BAT assessment, a detailed description of each system and any treatment of discharges, and process flow diagrams.

As additional combustion equipment was installed, the European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) permit for the complex required variation. CRA worked with the design and metering engineers to ensure that the systems installed for sampling and monitoring fuel consumption were in accordance to the EU ETS requirements. CRA prepared the updated Monitoring and Reporting Plan (MRP) which included a description of changes, update to emission points and fuel sources, update of combined uncertainties for the fuel meters and the required supporting documentations. CRA also assisted with determining whether the changes required a submission of a significant capacity increase or decrease notification to DECC. Following submission of the permit variation applications and receipt of the permits, CRA assisted with management of the conditions and requirements in the permits, including the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Direction.

Ref: PS0117