Decom North Sea News Issue 17 August 2014

MEMBER NEWS

Issue 17 | August 2014

DECOM NEWS In this issue • DNS Chairman Past & Present Interview • Join the DNS Board • Going Dutch • DNS Joint Industry Projects Update • Achieving Smart, Focused & Proportionate EIA

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2 Decom News: Issue 17

DIRECTORS FOREWORD

A warm welcome to this edition of Decom News.

Nigel Jenkins Chief Executive Decom North Sea

I feel tremendously privileged to be leading DNS through its next stage of development as our business landscape continues to evolve.

In this foreword I would like to introduce myself and touch on some recent developments in our exciting industry. But first I would like to extend my own personal thanks and gratitude to Brian Nixon and Sarah Hillyear. They were instrumental in creating a vibrant, innovative members organisation delivering solutions for the European decommissioning industry.

Sarah recently left DNS to pursue her career in a new role. I have been actively recruiting Sarah’s successor and am delighted to announce Karen Seath will become the DNS General Manager at the end of September. Karen brings much energy, experience and enthusiasm, I am sure you will join me in welcoming her.

These changes are a natural progression for DNS. I am pleased we will ensure a seamless transition for members.

My motivations for joining DNS are firstly born from a personal commitment to full life cycle management. Every asset has a finite life. Asset owners have a duty of care, not only to excellence in design, construction and operations but also to late life management and decommissioning. This is a natural part of the asset lifecycle. DNS members should be proud to be leading in this field. Secondly the challenge of building on the excellent work of DNS through its formative years, responding to new market and regulatory drivers and helping all members and stakeholders navigate a successful route through the business landscape is immensely interesting and enjoyable.

So a time of positive change in our organisation and also in the market.

You will be familiar with the “Wood Review” and the more recent, “Scotland’s Independent Expert Commission on Oil and Gas: Maximising the Total Value Added”. Both highlight the strategic importance of Decommissioning.

The report recommendations align with our strategy. Sure they present significant challenge, but also great opportunity. I ask you; who else is better positioned to make a significant contribution to these recommendations than DNS? Our members and stakeholders have been working hard and smart in recent years on precisely these issues. Sir Ian Wood demands “game changing” solutions. This game changer will come out of DNS because we are the only organisation bringing all stakeholders together focussed on decommissioning. We are part of a significant collaborative network; myself and Nigel Lees will be in the new OGUK Decom forum, DNS Director Paul Charlton is Chairman of NOF. Our Chairman Callum Falconer sits on the OGP and SUT decommissioning committees. We have excellent links with EEEGR, Subsea UK, OCA, DECC, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Energy North and the Nuclear Industry Association. If there is a game changer out there, it will emerge from this network.

In the lead up to our October conference my focus will be on getting to know more of our members and listening to your feedback and suggestions. Through regular consultation we will continue to evolve our strategy for the market.

I and the team are excited and energised by the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead and we look forward to working with you.

Nigel Jenkins

In this issue pg 4 pg 18 pg 20

DNS Chairman Interview Feature Article - Environ Member Point of View Bond Dickinson

Design & Production

pg 22 pg 24 pg 38

PR & Copywriting

Partner News Member News Spotlight on New Members Apology - Decom North Sea would like to apologise to CNR International (UK) Ltd and Shell U.K Limited for the use of the incorrect image in Newsletter Issue 16.

www.decomnorthsea.com 3

DECOM NORTH SEA

DNS Chairman Past & Present Interview 2014 sees Decom North Sea’s inaugural Chairman, Murdo MacIver, step down after five years’ service. With the appointment of Callum Falconer as new Chairman, we caught up with both men; firstly with Murdo to reflect on DNS’ first five years and then with Callum to tell us what he feels the next five years holds, both for DNS and the wider industry.

Murdo MacIver Board Director, Offshore Group, Peterson (United Kingdom) Limited

Until handing over to Callum, you had been DNS Chairman since its inception in 2009 – what encouraged you to join in such a strategically important role, at the very beginning of the body’s life?

I’ve been interested and involved in the decommissioning question since way back before 2000, with the Shetland Decommissioning Company.

Lerwick Port Authority and other Shetland businesses were interested in Decomissioning opportunities and I supported them in developing these decommissioning opportunities.

It was partly down to this experience that I was invited by Scottish Enterprise to participate in a steering group and workshops, focusing on support for the North Sea decommissioning industry. DNS was created and I was delighted to take the opportunity to help it create a position for itself within industry.

At the outset, what did you see as DNS’ main objectives? Have these changed as the years have progressed?

From my point of view it was primarily about knowledge sharing with, and inclusivity of, the complete supply chain. The body’s key objectives are well documented in the original Scottish Enterprise report.

One recurring theme, however, was the requirement for an industry forum to unify the disparate clusters of bodies and initiatives in the North Sea decommissioning market, and bring clarity and commonality to an emerging and - at that time - disjointed sector of the offshore oil and gas industry.

4 Decom News: Issue 17

How do you feel DNS has influenced industry, at both operator and contractor level?

DNS has definitely achieved the initial goals that were set out for the organisation. It has a strong collaborative membership that engages with the organisation and this collaborative ethos is developing the inclusive approach and vision that I had hoped for. This industry is new to all of us and it is important that we are able to share information and ideas openly, in a manner that can make the industry more efficient in the future.

Has industry’s perception of decommissioning changed over the past 5 years?

Yes, I feel that it has. There’s a lot more information out in the business domain nowadays, and I believe that this allows industry to make investment decisions with more confidence. Timing is always going to be a difficult issue to manage but I feel that Decom North Sea, together with Oil and Gas UK, can offer a lot of support. For example, they can help facilitate a proposal that is beneficial to the industry by providing access to the right people and information.

The ethos of collaboration is key throughout the decommissioning supply chain, do you think this is something that can still be improved and what do you consider to be the key issues in managing the supply chain?

I feel that early collaboration between operators and between operators and the supply chain is vital to the success

of the industry. It’s not just about platform decommissioning and removal - we should be looking at how we can get involved at an earlier stage to investigate and assess opportunities.

DNS now has well over 200 members – did you anticipate it growing as much as it has?

Absolutely. We always envisaged that there was a requirement for our help, and that there was an opportunity for a membership of between 200 and 300 companies. The success in making this happen is down to Brian and his team, their engagement with the supply chain and the development of DNS to meet the needs of the business community.

Aside from the mission to engender collaboration, what do you see as the key decommissioning challenges ahead, and how do you see DNS dealing with those challenges?

The challenges ahead centre around how DNS will engage with its members, operator community and affiliate or associate organisations. We must ensure that we continue to develop the supply chain to meet the needs of the industry. Thus far, we have managed to create an organisation that can deliver support and information to the business community. In the future I’d like to see us increase our involvement with industry led projects, helping to generate benefits for industry in terms of effectiveness and efficiency of the supply chain. I’d also like to engender a closer collaboration between the operator and their supply chain in bringing innovation and effective solutions to the market place.

DECOM NORTH SEA

Callum Falconer Commercial Project Lead, Marathon Oil U.K. LLC

Callum, you’re taking on the role of Chairman after DNS’ first 5 years – from your own industry perspective, how do you feel it has contributed to the change in attitude towards decommissioning, amongst members and the wider industry?

Through its membership, which is of course unique to decommissioning, DNS has brought a common understanding within the industry on key decommissioning issues, such as essential integration with late life asset operations, uncertainty of demand, uncertainty of supply chain capability and escalating cost estimates.

Moving forward, a key focus for DNS will be to bring more certainty to these issues.

As we know, “collaboration” is the DNS watchword. Do you think there is room for improvement within that spirit of co-operation between Operators and the supply chain?

Collaboration is without doubt the key to unlocking the ‘game changer’, which is sought to introduce efficiencies, innovation and ultimately reduce costs. Collaboration has been the key strategic theme of DNS since inception however I believe Operators now have

to take a more prominent role and drive collaborative efforts into their decommissioning programmes by taking them beyond joint studies and into multi-operator, multi-asset, multiyear campaigns. This will unlock the necessary investment into the supply chain through visibility of a more certain demand profile.

As we’ve discussed with Murdo, DNS now has well over 200 members – do you have any particular hopes for its expansion during your tenure?

DNS membership to date has exceeded expectations and is a tribute to the efforts and talent of the outgoing executive team and chairman.

Extending our reach beyond current geographic boundaries is not within our current strategy, however gaining knowledge is most certainly a key element of our strategy, and we can learn much from a more diverse membership into Norway, Netherlands and Denmark for example.

We also need to fully integrate our efforts with Oil and Gas UK so as to leverage the skills in both organisations, thus enhancing knowledge and eliminating duplication. Furthermore, we need to understand the role of

the new regulator, the Oil and Gas Association, and determine where DNS fits within its remit.

At this time of change within the DNS executive this year, there is an opportunity to reflect on what has gone well and what needs to be improved in terms of board structure and sector representation; I will work closely with the Chief Executive and the Board of Directors to ensure we are prepared and fit for purpose for the next five years.

Over and above the main objective of encouraging collaboration, what do you see as the key decommissioning challenges right now and looking forward?

I believe the biggest challenge is to bring all the good ideas that exist within the technical and commercial arenas and evolve these into practical, tangible products capable of implementation.

How do you see DNS dealing with that challenge?

DNS will not create these solutions; rather we will encourage more tangible collaboration, facilitate further joint studies and communicate results which will focus and accelerate improvement.

New Executive Team Members Please join us in welcoming the new additions to our Executive Team.

Karen Seath, General Manager, joining from St Andrews University where she was responsible for commercial business development. Karen has a background in marine biology, research and consultancy and previously spent 14 years with drinks giant Diageo.

Izzie Bryce, Marketing and Events Manager, Maternity Cover for Jennifer Mann from mid-September. Izzie joins from Oil and Gas UK and brings fantastic marketing and events management experience.

Chris Fraser, Administrator. Chris joins from Ceona and has much experience in customer service and administration in the Oil and Gas Industry.

They will all play an integral role within the existing Executive team to support our members and drive industry forward.

- Nigel Jenkins, Chief Executive - Jennifer Mann, Marketing and Events Manager - Dorothy Burke, Projects Manager and - Laura Gibson, Finance Manager

Nigel Jenkins Chief Executive

Dorothy Burke Projects Manager

Jennifer Mann Marketing and Events Manager

Karen Seath General Manager

Izzie Bryce Marketing and Events Manager (Maternity Cover)

Chris Fraser Administrator

www.decomnorthsea.com 5

DECOM NORTH SEA

Training Course New Location Following the success of the first three training courses held in Aberdeen, Decom North Sea in partnership with Strategic Decommissioning Consultants Ltd are expanding the reach of the training course focused on an Introduction to Offshore Decommissioning and have confirmed a new date to hold the course in the East of England.

This interactive training course will give participants an overview and understanding of the key issues across the work breakdown structure of a decommissioning project, utilising lessons learned from the broad decommissioning experience the trainers have gained from their many years in the industry.

Throughout the course participants will be challenged on how things can be done differently concluding with a discussion on day 2 on the ‘Improvement Agenda’. The following areas will be covered: • Overview • Cost • Legislation & Approvals • Safety Aspects • Stakeholder Engagements • Preparation & Operating Interface • Wells P&A Overview • Cleaning & Hook Down • Subsea & Pipelines • Removal & Lift • Onshore Dismantling • Ongoing Liability This is an excellent opportunity to increase your knowledge of this burgeoning sector and debate ideas of how the industry can become more efficient within a small group.

The course has been designed with the following participants in mind: • Operators - Managers (Operations, Engineering, Asset, Finance); Project Team Managers • Contractors/Service Providers - Managing Projects; Engineering support • Regulators - Managers; New entrants wishing to get overview of process and issues • Banks/Finance Houses/Insurance - Oil & Gas Investment/Security Managers Lessons learned from previous decommissioning activity will be used throughout.

For further information about forthcoming training courses, please contact Izzie Bryce, ibryce@decomnorthsea.com or visit www.decomnorthsea.com/training

“”

Excellent event that really helped me understand the stages from just thinking about decommissioning through to completion that raised my awareness of the complexities and factors involved throughout the whole process.

“”

Great overview with plenty of thought provoking discussions between the presenters & delegates in this growing and important part of the industry.

Delegate feedback from our February & June 2014 courses

Forthcoming 2014/15 Dates for your diary: 19th & 20th of November - Aberdeen 28th & 29th of January - Norwich

Course Delegates, June 2014

6 Decom News: Issue 17

DECOM NORTH SEA

Decom North Sea Golf Day 2014 This year the Decom North Sea golf day was held at Aboyne Golf Club on Friday 6th of June with 12 teams participating in the Stableford competition.

It was a very close competition with “The Bunker Boys” (Proserv) only just managing to beat runners up CNRI by two points. The team of David Dent, Brian Kinsey, Stephen Cochrane & John Dixon, won with 88 points.

Individual Winner went to Jamie Hutchinson from Falck Nutec.

The longest drive and nearest the pin was won by Colin Smith from Team “Marathon Oil”. Last place honours went to Stacey Murthy from “Abandon All Hope” (Halliburton).

A great day was had by all and over £300 was raised for the Pound for UCAN by the raffle.

Thanks to Augean North Sea Services, CNRI, FG Burnett, Halliburton, John Lawrie, Marathon Oil, Proserv, Scottish Fishermans Federation and Tetra EOT for their kind donations of prizes.

DNS Director, David Dent & Jennifer Mann present the cheque to UCAN

Team Falck Nutec

Golf Day Winners, Team Proserv

Team Marathon Oil U.K. LLC

Team Accenture

Team Tetra EOT

Team Bibby Offshore

www.decomnorthsea.com 7

MEMBEROFFSHORE DECOM NEWS

Over 250 delegates & 28 exhibitors attended Decom North Sea’s flagship event on the 27th of May at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre which was sponsored by DNV GL. The aim of the 2014 one day event, entitled Realising Opportunities for All, was to highlight the many and varied technologies/ techniques required within the sector and to showcase some of the latest industry developments and thinking. This was the second time this conference had been held after its launch last year as a way to bring together professionals from all tiers of the decommissioning industry to discuss and debate how future projects can be undertaken in the safest and most environmentally and cost effective ways.

Event proceedings kicked off on the 26th of May, with an Evening Networking Reception held at the Aberdeen Maritime Museum, sponsored by Stork. The following day provided delegates with a mixture of plenary sessions, exhibition space and 1-2-1 opportunities.

The event was designed by our organising conference committee that consisted of key representatives from various sectors of industry, this helped ensure that industry knowledge and experience was reflected in each of the 4 sessions.

Session 1 Strategy, Planning & Preparation for Cessation of Production (COP).

Session 2 Late life Management Opportunities Session 3 Learning from other Sectors/ Regions and Session 4 From a demand chain to a supply chain.

Decom North Sea would like to thank our organising committee, event sponsors, 1-2-1 companies, exhibitors and delegates who made this event possible.

All presentations from the event are available to Decom North Sea members on the member’s only section of the website. Feedback from the event was excellent and planning is already underway for next year’s event which will be held w/c 25th May 2015.

“”

‘A well-paced informative event addressing highly topical issues with articulate speakers’ ‘A vast improvement on the year before’ ‘Good job worth attending’ ‘The event was very well planned to facilitate networking. There was ample opportunitiy to network with a large number of people’ ‘Very packed programme which was good – barley time to breathe, but valuable because of that’ ‘It was better than expected.

Especially from the perspective of operators and suppliers both willing to work together and share ideas’ Delegate feedback from Decom Offshore 2014 ‘Realising Opportunities for All’

PRINCIPAL SPONSOR

8 Decom News: Issue 17

SUPPORTING SPONSOR

EVENING RECEPTION SPONSOR

DELEGATE BAG SPONSOR

LANYARD SPONSOR

DECOM NORTH SEA

Technology Challenges On Wednesday 28th May, Decom North Sea and The Industry Technology Facilitator (ITF) held a joint workshop with their respective member companies to explore the key areas where technology development is required in offshore decommissioning.

The facilitated workshop involved participants identifying the key technology challenges in Topsides Cleaning and Decontamination, Subsea, Wells and Removal & Disposal. The group then voted on the top 10 challenges and broke out into groups to consider how these challenges could be addressed and what industry could potentially do to support solutions.

Following the workshop, ITF and Decom North Sea reviewed the output of each breakout session and subsequently developed an action plan to address each challenge. These are summarised below with an approximate timeframe for initiation of work on each.

For ITF Calls for Proposals, the first stage will be to work with ITF and Decom North Sea members to assess their willingness to champion this activity, this involves assisting ITF in developing a Call for Proposals and potentially be willing to fund new technology development projects. A final decision on whether to take the proposed actions forward, and in what form, will depend on clear support from members. On identification of champions, ITF will then work with the champions to prepare a Call for Proposals. Depending on the nature of the challenge and how well it is understood, this may take the form of a teleconference or a round table discussion. Both ITF and Decom North Sea members will be able to see the proposals submitted under the terms of a confidentiality agreement.

Topic

Action

Timeframe

1 Confirmation of cement bond in multiple annuli

To be addressed by ITF in a Call for Proposals (combine with 3)

Q3 2014

2 Make 100ft of tubing of plugging depth disappear

To be addressed by ITF in a Call for Proposals

Q1 2015

3 Cement jobs through tubing

To be addressed by ITF in a Call for Proposals (combine with 1)

Q3 2014

4 Drill cuttings characterisation & removal

To be addressed by ITF in a Call for Proposals

Q1 2015

5 More efficient and automated rigless conductor removal

To be addressed by ITF in a Call for Proposals

Q4 2014

6 Diverless pipeline and bundle cutting, removal

To be addressed by Decom North Sea

7 System for internal remote inspection

To be addressed by ITF in a Call for Proposals (Combine with 8)

Q3 2014

8 Non-intrusive characterisation of composition and content of container (including pipeline)

To be addressed by ITF in a Call for Proposals (combine with 7)

Q3 2014

9 Temporary stabilization of hydrocarbon residue to support transportation to shore

To be addressed by ITF in a Call for Proposals

Q2 2015

10 Diverless mattress removal

To be addressed by Decom North Sea

11 Removal & disposal – Landscaping study

To be addressed by Decom North Sea

The full report from the workshop is available on decomnorthsea.com in the members only section. If you are interested in being involved in any of the above initiatives and would like to find out more information please contact Dorothy Burke dburke@decomnorthsea.com

Join the Board of Decom North Sea Decom North Sea’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held at 5pm on Tuesday 7th October at the Fairmont Hotel in St Andrews. Nominations for the Board of Decom North Sea will be considered and confirmed at the AGM. Members of Decom North Sea are invited to put forward a nomination for the Board by completing a nomination form and returning it to Chris Fraser by Friday 12th September. Email cfraser@decomnorthsea.com for a copy of the nomination form. Nominations are being sought in the following categories: • Operators • Main Contractors • Technical Services, Technology and Equipment Providers • Marine & Logistics • Subsea & Wells • Onshore Disposal & Waste Treatment As well as ensuring that there is adequate representation across the various sectors of the industry, it is also important that members from around the various North Sea regions are represented so we are encouraging nominations from across the UK as well as internationally.

The Board generally meets bi-monthly and has responsibility for operational matters, directing the preparation of business plans and financial projections, establishing aims, strategy, long term organisational structure, membership levels, research levels and performance indicators. The Board also has responsibility for developing membership rules and regulations.

If this sounds of interest and you feel you could contribute to the future direction of Decom North Sea, please contact Chris Fraser for more information. cfraser@decomnorthsea.com

www.decomnorthsea.com 9

DECOM NORTH SEA

Joint Industry Projects Decom North Sea consults regularly with its membership to identify and prioritise projects that can add value, improve efficiency and reduce costs. Each project idea with member support (such as those voted on at DNS’ March event) is discussed with a pilot group of DNS Member volunteers who discuss the project’s potential and produce an outline plan. This then goes through DNS project selection and enters the project pipeline with assigned priority and a recommended start date.

Project pipeline

Project Delivery Pipeline Projects are reviewed by the DNS Board & Projects Sub-Committee: those selected are fully scoped, an execution plan developed, funding secured and delivery resource identified. Projects can be led by DNS, by Members, by Consultants or via Joint Industry Projects. A Project Sponsor from the DNS Board makes sure they are on track to deliver on time and in budget.

Current Collaborative Projects

Selected Project

Project Execution Process

Re-Use Joint Industry Project The second phase of the Reuse Project attracted funding from Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) to deliver a set of Reuse Guidelines for operators. A joint event held in May with ZWS, promoted re-use benefits, learned from other sectors and about the ‘Circular Economy’ and its impact on oil and gas, as well as capturing ideas for the Guidelines.

A Foreword from DECC and input from SEPA is also being incorporated in the Reuse Guidelines - which will be launched in Q4 along with a set of Reuse Case Studies.

A further phase of collaborative work with Zero Waste Scotland is anticipated during 20142015 and will be scoped in conjunction with ZWS and the DNS Reuse Workgroup, with input from DNS Member companies.

Lessons Learned and Knowledge Transfer DNS is developing an approach to capturing lessons learned during live projects (rather than after the Close-out Report is submitted to DECC). DNS held a Pilot Group session in July to outline the next steps on this project.

Lessons Learned data will be captured for DNS Members’ current and completed projects and published via the new DNS website in Q4.

Streamlined Template for Environmental Impact Assessments Following on from the success of the Streamlined Template for Decommissioning Programmes (now endorsed and adopted by

10 Decom News: Issue 17

industry and the regulator) DNS is discussing the development of a Streamlined Template for Environmental Impact Assessments. A Pilot Group discussion was held in June to outline the next steps: these steps start with a meeting with DECC’s Environment Team to progress the initiative. Such a template would benefit operators and regulators in the preparation and approval of the EIA, while consultants and contactors will also benefit from a clearer understanding of the depth and type of information required.

Decom Decision Planning Roadmap Traditional operator stage gate approaches do not readily ‘fit’ the decommissioning phase of an asset. The identification of a separate “Retire” phase can enhance the overall project management process by allowing operators to plan for the transition from late life to decommissioning in a different way. A workgroup drawn from Marathon, Shell, BP, TAQA, Wood Group PSN, Aker Solutions, AMEC and facilitated by DNS, has been developing a planning framework for the ‘Retire’ phase in recent months. A draft framework will pull together information, documents, tools and approaches from all the participants and will be shared with industry for ratification prior to launch at the October conference.

Early Contractor Engagement This initiative recognises that if a suitable method can be developed to allow operators to select and engage with their preferred contractors at an earlier stage in the development of their decommissioning programmes, then more innovative and cost effective solutions are likely to be achieved.

Traditionally contractors tend to be engaged after a competitive tendering process and thus are given limited opportunity to align their objectives with those of the operator at the appropriate time, and hence will likely be too late to add value. This will be progressed in August.

DECOM NORTH SEA

Multi-Party Approach to Wells P&A This initiative initially focuses on subsea wells within a five year timescale. The project is centred around a campaign approach to the plugging and abandonment of wells, offering the potential to lower costs to operators, improve the utilisation of rigs and other equipment, improve the scheduling opportunity for contractors, introduce the concept of incentivised contracting, and importantly share knowledge and best practice gained through steadier and more repetitive operations. A September workshop will explore next steps on this project.

It is proposed that a concerted and sustained effort should be developed to redress this situation (or perception). A group discussion on this initiative in November will examine DNS’ role in this process.

Market Intelligence A third Operator Round Table was held in June to finalise the template for Operators to share upcoming Decommissioning project data in a standard format. This will be populated and updated by DNS during regular visits to its operator members and from public domain data shared on operator websites, or via presentations at events and conferences. This data will be published on the member area of the Decom North Sea website so that supplier members can assess upcoming projects and engage with the operators at the right stage in their decommissioning planning process.

Raising Awareness and Profile of Decommissioning Feedback from operators and contractors alike suggests that in the overall life cycle of oil and gas assets, decommissioning is still perceived as less attractive, less rewarding and possibly of lesser value. This is thought to apply to both new start and experienced professionals, and also to some companies (or the departments within some companies).

For more information about any of the above projects please contact Dorothy Burke, dburke@decomnorthsea.com

“”

The identification of a separate “Retire” phase can enhance the overall project management process by allowing operators to plan for the transition from late life to decommissioning in a different way.

Dorothy Burke, Decom North Sea

Circular economy

DESIGN FOR REPAIRABILITY

DESIGN FOR DISASSEMBLY

CRADLE TO CRADLE

DESIGN

RETAINING OWNERSHIP

CLOSED-LOOP RECYCLING

BU I L D

ALLOY RECYCLING

DECO

REMANUFACTURING

MMISSIO

N

RE-USE

OP

ER A IN TE & MAINTA

MAINTENANCE & REPAIR

RESOURCE EFFICIENCY

MODULARISED PRODUCTS

HIRING & LEASING

www.decomnorthsea.com 11

DECOM NORTH SEA

Re-use not Recycle Over the next 25 years, offshore decommissioning spend is expected to reach £40.6billion in the UK Continental Shelf alone, with some 470,000 tonnes of material requiring to be removed the same weight as more than 1,000 Boeing-747 airliners. With so much to be done, there are a multitude of opportunities in the sector.

12 Decom News: Issue 17

rather than disposing of them. For example, when scrapping a car, the recycle value may be £134 as opposed to a re-use value of £475. Across industries, re-using materials is preferable to recycling from an economic and environmental viewpoint.

Marathon Oil provides an industry-specific example of re-use in practice, having removed a drilling rig from its Brae Bravo platform for re-use on its neighbouring East Brae platform. This 194 tonne drilling derrick, and 879 tonne derrick substructure, saved idle rig maintenance costs for the donating asset, and procurement costs and lead time for the receiving asset. Marathon Oil also utilised redundant gas sweetening plant process equipment, when the equipment was reconfigured for processing of subsea tiebacks on the Brae Alpha platform, reusing 81 tonnes of equipment.

Local company, The John Lawrie Group thinks out of the box when it comes to re-using oil and gas components in other industries. Anchor chains from vessels have been broken into separate links and attached as weights to nets on fish farms; steel pipes and tubulars are redeployed as steel piles on construction sites, and concrete seabed mattresses have been given free of charge to farmers as an alternative to laying concrete floors in cattle sheds. All eliminate the costs incurred for disposal. These ingenious adaptations have required minimal reprocessing and recertification, and have identified new use for otherwise obsolete oil and gas waste.

It is abundantly clear that this is a time of growth and unprecedented opportunity in the decommissioning sector. It is a challenging industry, ripe for innovation and technology development. DNS hopes the insight and practical advice that Zero Waste Scotland can share will inspire a new wave of complementary services and innovations, to the benefit of its members and the overall development of the decommissioning industry.

Please contact Dorothy Burke for more information: dburke@decomnorthsea.com LOWERING THE AMOUNT OF WASTE PRODUCED USING MATERIALS REPEATEDLY USING MATERIALS TO MAKE NEW PRODUCTS RECOVERING ENERGY FROM WASTE

l sa sp o Di

ry Re co ve

Re cy cle

Re

-u

se

n

DISPOSAL TO LANDFILL ETC.

Pr ev en tio

The oil and gas industry has embraced recycling, and the effort operators are making towards recycling their waste is commendable. The Waste Hierarchy illustrates that whilst recycling has its place, it is neither the most environmentally nor economically efficient option. Identifying ways to lower the amount of waste produced or how waste can be re-used is preferable and should be a consideration for the oil and gas decommissioning industry.

Decommissioning is a complex series of activities, each with its own level of skill and expertise. From operations to communications, engineering to legislation, each strand is vital. Understanding how a platform was installed, how it operated, and the expectations for when it reaches the end of its life is a collaborative process which requires transparent knowledge share.

DNS recognises the large amount of waste that decommissioning projects generate. Its Re-Use Workgroup works collaboratively with selected members to encourage greater re-use in the industry and integration with wider societal and governmental initiatives, aligned with broader industry aims and programmes. The decommissioning industry is expected to peak over the next 25 years, and there is a real opportunity right now to change perceptions and stimulate interest in the benefits of re-use. The workgroup will share its findings in a handbook that will ensure a more informed approach to the business case for decommissioning by identifying the true value of re-use in selecting “disposal” options.

As part of this process, DNS recently teamed up with Zero Waste Scotland to explore the ways in which it encourages companies from a variety of industries to re-use and re-manufacture waste.

Decom North Sea Chairman, Callum Falconer, has a specific interest in the body’s Re-use initiative, having served as project sponsor: “Decom North Sea has firmly cemented its reputation as the recognised body for the decommissioning supply chain. It is widely regarded as the promoter of innovative, yet pragmatic solutions within the industry.”

He continues: “DNS’ mission is to facilitate an effective, efficient future for the industry and our recent collaboration with Zero Waste Scotland is the perfect example of the constructive work the team do to ensure that objective is met.”

Zero Waste Scotland is funded by the Scottish Government to support the delivery of its Zero Waste Plan and other low carbon and resource efficiency priorities. It works to help Scotland become more efficient in its use of resources – including using materials, energy and water as efficiently as possible, as well as reducing waste. It supports Scotland’s ambition to be at the vanguard of developing a ‘circular economy’, where materials are re-used and re-manufactured in a cycle of use rather than being discarded.

As part of their work, Zero Waste Scotland wants to work closely with the offshore oil and gas community to identify the benefits of keeping materials and products in use for as long as safely possible, in order to extract the maximum value from them. This contrasts with the current ‘take, make and dispose’ model, and aims to facilitate a shift from a ‘one-way trip’ to a ‘circular journey’ and ultimately, to achieve more sustainable economic growth.

This is a very different principal to straight-forward recycling. Re-using and re-manufacturing requires less energy and effort, as well as attracting higher profit margins. The biggest environmental and financial benefits are to be had from keeping ownership of products: by using or selling,

DECOM NORTH SEA

Creating a product

“Decommissioning” a product Material

Parts

Product

Bookings Open for Offshore Decommissioning Conference Bookings have officially opened for the annual Offshore Decommissioning Conference organised by Decom North Sea in partnership with Oil & Gas UK. This year’s event, sponsored by EY, will be held at the Fairmont Hotel, St Andrews, on 7-9 October.

Resuse

Collaboration and Innovation are key themes of the DNS strategy.

With the recent Wood Review and Scottish Government Report further emphasising the need for collaboration across the oil and gas industry supply chain, operators and stakeholders, this year’s conference is titled ‘Delivering the Future Together’ .

The conference will focus on how the decommissioning sector can work together to ensure future decommissioning projects are undertaken in the most efficient and cost effective ways.

This industry leading annual event follows on from four previous sell-out conferences, with more than 300 delegates from the UK, Norway, The Netherlands and the USA attending the 2013 conference.

The two conference days feature a full schedule of workshops and presentations including an update on the current market and future opportunities relating to wells, vessels, heavy lifters and onshore handling.

The programme will also focus on other users of the sea and their opinions relating to decommissioning, and will include a technology debate and conclude with a discussion about the future of the industry.

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Recycling

The conference will be chaired jointly by Nigel Jenkins, Decom North Sea’s Chief Executive, and Mick Borwell, Oil & Gas UK’s environmental issues director.

They will be joined by a line-up of industry experts, who will share their knowledge of decommissioning and encourage delegates to participate in a range of interactive discussions on topical issues including current and projected decommissioning levels, lessons learned from recent major projects and collaboration.

Mr Jenkins said: The “Wood Review” and the excellent, recent, “Scotland’s Independent Expert Commission on Oil and Gas: Maximising the Total Value Added” highlight the strategic importance of Decommissioning in the UKCS. This next DNS and O&GUK conference arrives at an opportune time for the industry and I am greatly looking forward to engaging with our members and stakeholders as we continue to play a vital role in the decommissioning of Oil & Gas Assets and create a centre of excellence for the industry.

For further information and to register, please visit www.decomnorthsea.com.

The event is open to non-members as well as members of DNS and Oil & Gas UK.

www.decomnorthsea.com 13

DECOM NORTH SEA

The Roadmap to Retiring Knowing where you are going and how you are going to get there is important. Whether going on a business trip, or executing a multi-million pound contract, the outcome of the journey and its ultimate success is due to preparation and planning.

A Decision Roadmap ensures you make sound decisions about every stage of that journey.

You need to identify the viable options and take actions to progress the project, but you must choose the right options based on sound reasoning, rather than being left with only one option due to poor planning. Understanding what is important, gathering the correct information and involving the right people is vital.

Since the 1970s, through careful planning and collaboration, the North Sea oil and gas industry has steadily developed into one of the strongest and most highly regarded clusters anywhere in the world. For years, platforms have been maintained and modified to provide the very best yield, but despite this trend, it is now recognised that a growing number of oil and gas assets have either reached, or are approaching, the end of their economic life.

In accordance with current regulations, assets will have to be decommissioned and removed.

This presents challenges for the owners and operators, while offering major business opportunities for engineering consultants, contractors and service specialists.

Offshore decommissioning is a complex series of activities, each calling for its own level of skill and expertise. From operations to communications, engineering to legislation, each strand is vital. Understanding how a platform was installed, how it was operated, and the expectations for when it reaches the end of its life is a collaborative process which requires transparent knowledge share. Decom North Sea (DNS) is the industry body that facilitates this in the North Sea. Since its inception in 2010, DNS has grown to have more than 230 members drawn from operators, major contractors, service

specialists and technology developers. The aim of the group is to bring people from all over the industry together in an open environment to discuss opportunities and, above all, to learn from one another.

Across the globe, decommissioning in the oil and gas industry is now recognised as a critical stage in the life of an installation.

Operators and contractors, large and small, are taking notice of the projected £40.6billion spend over the next 25 years in UK waters alone. No longer is decommissioning perceived as a dirty job which oil executives are forced to consider as reserves run low. Decommissioning is emerging as a dynamic, innovative and collaborative opportunity in the oil and gas industry which requires forward planning and commitment.

Decommissioning is seen by many as reverse engineering, essentially deconstructing an installation. However, it is being increasingly recognised that decommissioning is actually very different from the capital investment projects and not suited to the same “tried and trusted” procedures and process.

The critical questions are at what point in this cycle is consideration given to decommissioning and when are plans best put in place? Many believe that decommissioning projects require to be managed differently and the traditional approach of Appraise, Select, Define and Execute does not adequately address the unique features of decommissioning.

A series of workshops facilitated by DNS with a group of operator and contractor members, is discussing decommissioning or ‘Retiring’ an asset as a new phase in its life cycle, rather than treating it as a new project.

The proposed Retire phase recognises the

“” The critical questions are at what point in this cycle is consideration given to decommissioning and when are plans best put in place?

transition from operation to decommissioning.

This distinction, while seemingly small, will enable the industry to look at things differently and help plan, communicate, prepare for and manage the decommissioning effort.

The transition period from operations to decommissioning occurs over a period of time.

Each asset is unique but the same options require consideration. Not all elements of an asset mature at the same time or pace; some are complete prior to cessation of production (CoP) whilst others occur years after CoP. This results in multiple, targeted assessments of readiness, with a complex series of activities to be carried out in a certain order against a predetermined timescale.

When preparing for decommissioning, there are a number of options that the operator must consider. These are summarised in a Decommissioning Programme which is submitted to Government (the Department of Energy and Climate Change) using a standard template format which DNS worked with industry and DECC to create.

In contrast, at the moment there are no standard planning processes or procedures in place to manage the transition from operations to decommissioning and there is no documented toolbox for managing this series of events. There is however, consistency in the decisions that need to be made, the timing at which these should be considered and the key enablers for decommissioning to be successful.

The aim of the initial workshops is to learn from the approaches used by different companies, identify the gaps in the decommissioning planning process and define what tools may be useful to assist planning during the transition phase.

The typical life cycle of an installation follows these eight key stages:

Identify 14 Decom News: Issue 17

Acquire

Explore

Appraise

Select

Define

Execute

Operate

DECOM NORTH SEA

Marathon Oil is a DNS member which champions the Decision Quality (DQ) approach to project planning and decision making. It takes a collective consensus on project decisions, by identifying which decisions are “key”, when they should be made (both their timing and their relationship to other decisions), what options are available and what selection criteria should be used. It also establishes who should be involved in the decision making process which has helped to initiate and manage interfaces and collaboration, as well as identify dependencies, impacts and risks across the business.

By taking an overview of the decision making process, Marathon Oil can prioritise and focus its efforts. It believes this has

Elements discussed include planning for 10 years before cessation of production, a Strategy Matrix covering scope, control, contracting and technology and a Decision Road Map indicating key decisions, when they need to be made and by whom. DNS believes that creating such a tool box would assist in decommissioning projects of different sizes and complexity and would enable decommissioning teams to better scope the planning process and the impact of decision making throughout the transition phase.

Next steps are likely to be a call for Workgroup Members to take part in a collaborative effort to create a documented framework and develop a toolbox to address this need.

Select

Define

Execute

helped significantly in communicating with management and other stakeholders, which in turn has led to a formal interface management and an improved way of working.

With the anticipated cross-industry decommissioning spend in coming years, it’s clear that planning for decommissioning is critical to success and that whilst every asset is unique, many face similar planning challenges.

DNS believes that the creation of a Decision Planning Roadmap and Toolbox could be of significant value to the industry to help map out that journey.

Please contact Dorothy Burke for more information, dburke@decomnorthsea.com

Operate

Retire

What’s involved in preparing to decommission Technical

Safety

• Data gap assessment

• HAZID/HAZOP

Societal

• Quantative risk assessment

• Fishing impacts

• Human factors impacts

• Noise and air pollution

• Safety case strategy

• Employment impacts

• Other users of the sea

Environment • EIA • Seabed sampling • Drill cuttings mapping • Waste inventory • Hazardous waste mapping • Impacts on mammals, birds, fish

• Integrity surveys • Process/utility decommissioning studies • Well abandonment

key aspects of a decommissioning programme

• Removal method assessment • 3D laser model surveys • Weigh/CoG • Subsea and pipelines

Process management

Economics

• Stakeholder relationships

• Work scope cost

• Independent verification • Independent chairmanship

• Cleaning methods

• Field life economics estimates • Taxation implications

• Energy and carbon emissions

www.decomnorthsea.com 15

DECOM NORTH SEA

Going Dutch Across the globe, decommissioning in the oil and gas industry is now recognised as a critical stage in the life of an installation. people from all over the industry together in an open environment to discuss opportunities and, above all, to learn from one another.

To maximise the reach of its open approach to information sharing, DNS strives to unite members across borders and considers the North Sea as a unified area where individual company interests are left at the door to develop a forum of open dialogue and best practise to benefit all. As such, DNS is committed to strengthening relationships with its North Sea neighbours and currently supports 11 Dutch member companies.

The Netherlands is the second-largest producer and exporter of natural gas in Europe (second only to Norway) with 450 gas fields, 250 of which are developed. Oil reserves however are limited, despite the 44 discovered fields.

Most of its natural gas fields are located offshore in the North Sea, although a number of them are located onshore, including Groningen, one of the ten largest natural gas fields in the world.

Natural gas produced in the Netherlands is shipped via an extensive domestic and export pipeline system, which connects the country with United Kingdom, Germany, and Belgium. In addition to pipeline natural gas, the Netherlands now serves as a transport hub for liquefied natural gas (LNG). The Gas Access to Europe (GATE) LNG terminal became operational in September 2011, with imported gas purchased

by Austrian, Danish, and German distribution and utility companies.

The Netherlands is also among the largest importers and exporters of crude oil in the world. A number of large producers transport

Operators and contractors, large and small, are taking notice of the projected £40.6 billion spend over the next 25 years in UKCS waters alone. No longer is decommissioning perceived as a dirty job which oil executives are forced to consider as reserves run low. Decommissioning is emerging as a dynamic, innovative and collaborative opportunity in the oil and gas industry which requires forward planning and commitment.

Since the boom years of the 1970s and 80s, the general market trend has been to extend the economic and productive lives of mature offshore platforms through the development of marginal and remote satellite reservoirs, the introduction of new technologies and expertise with asset integrity and production optimisation. Despite this trend, it is now recognised that a growing number of oil and gas assets have either reached, or are approaching, the end of their economic life.

In accordance with current regulations, assets will have to be decommissioned and removed.

This presents challenges for the owners and operators, while offering major business opportunities for engineering consultants, contractors and service specialists.

As the dedicated North Sea industry forum, Decom North Sea (DNS) is charged with sharing experience in this sector by stimulating collaboration and cooperation to secure economic benefit. The not-for-profit organisation now has 230 members drawn from operators, major contractors, service specialists and technology developers from more than eight countries. The aim of the group is to bring 3.5 3

Volume (1000 Sm3)

2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5

Expected oil production from developed accumulations Expected oil production from non developed accumulations Historical oil production

16 Decom News: Issue 17

2037

2035

2033

2031

2029

2027

2025

2023

2021

2019

2017

2015

2013

2011

2009

2007

2005

2003

2001

0

Source: http://www.nlog.nl/en/oilGas/oilGas.html

With more than 15 years’ experience in marine chartering and offshore contracting business, Dick Lagerweij is Commercial Manager for Boskalis Offshore Marine Contracting (formerly SMIT Marine Projects).

His role focusses on decommissioning and facilities removal, ranging from engineering, design and procurement to offshore transportation and lifting. Mr Lagerweij joined the Board of Directors at Decom North Sea in 2011, where he aims to encourage UK/ Dutch decommissioning relations. crude oil to Dutch ports, most notably Rotterdam, a considerable proportion of which is then re-exported either as crude or as refined product. Rotterdam harbour is the third-largest marine bunker harbour, after Singapore and Shanghai. Additionally, large oil storage facilities can be found at the Vlissingen and Amsterdam ports. In total, there is approximately 190 million barrels of storage capacity in Netherlands, with the majority of it (about 80 million barrels) located in Rotterdam.

Despite its status, production in the next 25 years is expected to decline in Dutch waters.

Oil production since 2001, and projected oil production for the next 25 years, is shown in the graph below and is based on the annual reports of the operators. The decreasing trend has been reversed by the re-start of production from the Schoonebeek field which will reach maximum production in 2014. After this time, production will show an overall decline towards 2037.

As production declines, planning when an installation is decommissioned is an important consideration. Our Norwegian neighbours recommend that installations should not be left in place for too long after production has ceased as they rapidly deteriorate. The Norwegian Climate and Pollution Agency recommends a maximum limit of five years before starting decommissioning activities, minimising the inherent worker safety risks of aging structures and the potential for environmental damage. Commitment must be given to decommissioning operations with plans put in place early in the life of a field – maybe 10 to 15 years ahead of closure. With 150 fixed offshore installations in Dutch waters, there is a lot to learn from the UK’s decommissioning efforts.

I have worked with DNS for three years in addition to my role as Commercial Manager for

DECOM NORTH SEA

Boskalis Offshore Marine Contracting (formerly SMIT Marine Projects). I have been involved in a number of decommissioning projects during that time and have witnessed how the market is changing. Oil companies are focusing on more cost efficient developments with smaller fields coming online, older fields being refurbished and innovations towards unmanned platforms being considered. Our government has laid out its plan to focus less on oil and gas and to develop more renewable forms of energy, and has already reduced allowable levels of gas production to protect against reservoir depletion and the associated environmental risks. This is a time of change for the industry; the future dictates a commitment to decommissioning our oil and gas legacy in a responsible way.

Dutch companies have a lot to gain from an association with DNS. Not only can we learn lessons from our UK neighbours, we can foster strong business relationships with like-minded companies. DNS provides an excellent forum for networking to identify complementary services and innovations, to the benefit of its members and the overall development of the decommissioning industry.

When organising networking opportunities and events in other regions out with Scotland, Decom North Sea tries to partner with local trade associations to avoid duplication of effort

and to bring the offshore decommissioning specialism to a wider range of companies. In the Netherlands, DNS has partnered with IRO since 2010. IRO represents companies engaged in all types of offshore and onshore engineering, and others from outside the industry seeking new business opportunities. Its membership has grown steadily, year-on-year, recently standing at 445.

As part of this relationship, earlier this year I was proud to host the first DNS board meeting outside of the UK. A number of DNS directors travelled over to Boskalis’ office in Papendrecht for the meeting where current DNS members based in the Netherlands were invited to give an overview of their organisation before the board meeting commenced. The following day, we held a seminar in Rotterdam in partnership with IRO where over 90 delegates attended to hear from Marathon Oil on their perspective of the decommissioning sector; Aker Solutions on their recent contract win for the Murchison project; Wood Group PSN on their centre of excellence for decommissioning and Allseas on an update of the Pieter Schelte build.

The focus of the seminar was to provide an update on decommissioning activity for current members based in The Netherlands and to attract new members in the region.

In June, DNS led a learning journey to Norway where participants met with Statoil, Conoco

Phillips and Talisman Energy and heard first hand their future decommissioning plans in the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The group were also entertained by DNS’s Norwegian Director, Torleif Gram (Aker Solutions) who gave an overview of their past decommissioning experience and an update on their ongoing work with CNRI on the Murchison decommissioning project.

The North Sea is a mature region, and in some respects, UK operators are pioneers of the decommissioning industry. I hope that the lessons we learn and the knowledge we gather can be of benefit to other regions as their assets mature. The regular learning journeys organised

by DNS give members a unique opportunity to visit local companies which specialise in a variety of decommissioning activities. Seeing first-hand their facilities, understanding what that company does and how your company may complement their offering builds strong relationships.

Now is a time of growth and unprecedented opportunity in the decommissioning sector.

It is a challenging industry with a great need for innovation and technology development – sharing of ideas, joint industry projects and open dialogue among operators, contractors and supply chain specialists across companies, and indeed countries, is a fundamental part of that journey.

Time to think about late life asset management?

Then speak to Aker Solutions, the preferred partner. Our expert team can execute full duty holder responsibility and manage your asset through its late life including decommissioning.

Aker Solutions can help you plan the whole process of decommissioning, from Cessation of Production activities, to eventual asset removal. Our unrivalled studies and planning at the very outset of your project ensure the most cost effective use of your resources with predictable results.

Our service includes:  Duty holder  Asset late life management  Effective cost estimating and planning  Feasibility and concept studies  FEED and detailed design activities  Engineering down, clean, removal/recycling and management of hazardous materials

Talk to us today for further details: Aker Solutions Freedom House Old Ford Road Aberdeen AB11 5RJ Tel: +44 (0) 1224 287200 Fax: +44 (0) 1224 287210 E-mail: mmouk@akersolutions.com

www.akersolutions.com

www.decomnorthsea.com 17

FEATURE ARTICLE

Achieving Smart, Focused and Proportionate EIA to support Oil and Gas Infrastructure Decommissioning: A Practitioner’s Perspective As the North Sea oil and gas industry transitions towards an increasing requirement for offshore infrastructure decommissioning, what lessons can be learned from elsewhere to make the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process for decommissioning more efficient and effective?

Directive 2014/52/EU on the assessment of effects on certain public and private projects on the environment (the ‘EIA Directive’) entered into force on 15th May 2014 and is required to be transposed into national law by May 2017.

Decommissioning expenditure on North Sea infrastructure has been estimated in the region of £40.6bn by 2040, averaging approximately £1.3bn per year at least until 2020 (Source: Oil and Gas UK Activity Survey 2014). Other sources suggest that UK oil and gas (O&G) decommissioning expenditure may be as much as £8bn within the next two years.

While the case for EIA to apply to decommissioning projects is not prescriptive, either in the current regulations or in the new EIA Directive, recent case law, best practice and current regulatory interpretation of the requirements of the Petroleum Act 1989 on this matter strengthen the de facto argument for the appropriate application of EIA in support of decommissioning programmes prepared for infrastructure on the UK continental shelf (UKCS).

With this in mind, smart, focused and proportionate Environmental Statements (or Environmental Reports as they are termed under the new EIA Directive) are surely the aim of all involved in the EIA process including operators, consultees, stakeholders and the consenting authority. Indeed, these principles were fundamental to last year’s revised Scottish Government Planning Advice Note (PAN) 1/2013, which replaced the outdated PAN 58 on the integration of EIA procedures into development management control. While the offshore decommissioning context is, of course, very different to onshore development management control, the principles of achieving effective and efficient EIA processes are arguably just as relevant.

18 Decom News: Issue 17

PAN 1/2013 advises that EIAs are: • Integrated – the EIA process is iterative and should seek to help guide the process of determining alternative options as well as leading to improvements in the final design and integrated mitigation measures.

• Proportionate – EIAs should be fit for purpose. Excessively long, repetitive and poorly co-ordinated Environmental Statements (ES) can prove a barrier to informed decision making. PAN 1/2013 advises that proportionality can best be achieved by seeking information from the consenting authority and the consultation bodies on the scope of the assessment, paying attention to their views from the outset, and by focusing on just the significant environmental effects of the proposed development.

• Efficient – Where multi-regime consents are required, for example decommissioning of an offshore asset with associated onshore infrastructure, early and effective consultation with the consenting authorities and consultation bodies provides an opportunity to minimise duplication while still ensuring that the requirements of individual EIA regulatory regimes are met in full.

Decom North Sea has already initiated an EIA discussion group comprising industry representatives to develop a streamlined EIA template and EIA process for decommissioning.

This work is in the early stages of development with a series of meetings to follow in 2014. So what might a streamlined EIA process look like if it were to adopt the principles highlighted above?

Smart and integrated design development The presumption towards complete removal of existing infrastructure described by OSPAR decision 98/3 provides defined limitations to the framework within which alternatives under the terms of EIA are considered. Nonetheless the smart integration of the environmental element of a comparative assessment remains an important tool in identifying balanced and proportionate mitigation to potential effects through design development at a very early stage in the decommissioning programme development process.

The comparative assessment decision making process is required to take due regard of environmental issues including those associated with climate change and resource use, a requirement now mirrored by the new requirements within the new EIA Directive.

It is anticipated therefore that there will be an increased focus for future assessments on balancing the economic, environmental and social factors associated with the selected decommissioning alternative.

If we consider lessons learnt from elsewhere once again, the ability to develop current practice to further integrate economic, environmental and social factors in a more integrated ecosystem services approach may offer great potential for further advancements in current EIA practice. Approaches such as a net environmental benefit analysis (NEBA) can achieve the objective of balancing the risks, benefits and trade-offs associated with competing decommissioning alternatives. A comparative analysis of alternatives to manage the platform jacket, associated infrastructure (i.e. pipelines) and drilling muds/sediment deposits can be incorporated within a NEBA. Similar to a cost-benefit analysis (CBA), a NEBA is a systematic process. Critically, though, unlike

FEATURE ARTICLE

a more traditional CBA, NEBA is grounded in the ecosystem services approach and offers the opportunity to include non-monetary environmental metrics as well as monetary ones. NEBA considerations have been included in decommissioning actions in various parts of the world and in some cases (e.g. California) have been written into law.

Focused and proportionate EIA scope Scoping is not a statutory requirement under the previous or new EIA Directive requirements.

Current oil and gas sector practice tends towards informal scoping consultation with the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and stakeholders, with the preparation of formal scoping reports and submission for an opinion under Section 7 of the EIA Regulations, most frequently reserved for the largest, most complex projects.

Successful delivery of a more comprehensive and informed scoping exercise early in the process can help to focus the EIA from the outset.

However, the scoping exercise should not be viewed as a one-off or milestone. Rather, scoping should be viewed as a continuous activity integrated within the overall EIA process.

Early and continuous engagement with stakeholders goes hand in hand with effective scoping. Ongoing dialogue enables issues to be scoped out (or scoped in) as baseline information is collected and, as a consequence, the methodology and scope of individual assessments can be refined. A responsive and reactive ongoing scoping exercise within the EIA process as a whole allows the EIA process to respond when the ‘balance of proof’ is reached in relation to an individual issue, thereby avoiding unnecessary inclusion of lengthy and detailed discussions of potential issues, only to conclude a low or no likelihood of significant effect.

Efficient and integrated environmental commitments The most effective mitigation measures are those that avoid or prevent the creation of adverse effects at source, and ideally such measures should be identified and integrated into the project design. Where specific

mitigation measures are required, such as the preparation of oil pollution emergency plans or use of a marine mammal observer during ‘noisy’ operations, these should be explicitly secured as part of the consent. Current practice is typically for these mitigation measures to be included in the ES as a schedule of mitigation. However, the EIA process is only one part of the overall decommissioning process for which environmental information is required. Operators will typically manage this environmental information through their environmental management system (EMS), which often requires some double handling and further development of the schedule of mitigation to provide more detail on matters such as ultimate disposal routes. Furthermore, research from various sectors, including O&G, suggests that more effort is required to link EIA and EMS. As an example, an investigation of EIA applications across various sectors found that 50% of mitigation measures were not translated into planning conditions or obligations.

Developing targeted and smart environmental commitments that can be clearly linked and integrated into an operators EMS from the outset is therefore one method by which efficiencies can be realised.

Summary The North Sea O&G industry will see increasing decommissioning activity over the next few years along with associated EIA requirements.

There is an opportunity to take action now to make the EIA process smarter, more focussed and proportionate, to the benefit of all involved.

This could involve, for example: using new techniques such as the NEBA approach to the comparative assessment carried out earlier in the process, a more detailed and continuous approach to EIA scoping and development of smarter environmental commitments, linked to EMS, for easier implementation post-consent.

Decom North Sea has recently assembled an EIA discussion group of industry representatives in order to make improvements to current practice for decommissioning projects and this group will meet regularly in 2014. www.environcorp.com

Felicity Arthur, ENVIRON

Nathan Swankie, ENVIRON

www.decomnorthsea.com 19

MEMBER POINT OF VIEW

Environmental Regulation and Potential Environmental Liabilities Arising During Decommissioning Projects In one of our previous articles in the February edition of Decom News we looked at the regulations for dealing with transfrontier shipment of waste and NORM wastes.

In this article we will focus on two of the key environmental regulations that both operators and contractors will need to be aware of during the development, consideration and implementation of a decommissioning project.

We also consider the potential environmental liabilities that parties may face and wish to protect themselves against when scoping out the necessary works and negotiating contracts.

Operators should discuss their proposals with DECC’s Offshore Environment Unit, to determine which of the wider plethora of environmental regulations apply to their operations. A clear understanding will be required of relevant regulatory requirements and how they interrelate with each other and early and ongoing engagement with the regulators is recommended.

The Offshore Chemical Regulations 2002 Operators would need to apply for a permit from DECC under these regulations (submitting a PON 15E) where it is proposed that an oil or gas platform would use or discharge chemicals during decommissioning operations. If well suspension or abandonment operations involve the use and /or discharge of offshore chemicals, permits need to be applied for using a PON 15F. Such applications will need to include an assessment of the potential risks to the environment, the major thrust of which is to select the most environmentally benign chemicals.

The Regulations cover any intentional discharge of chemicals that cannot be reused or recycled. In the context of decommissioning it should be noted that an offshore chemicals permit will normally be time limited and will only be granted in circumstances where the chemicals cannot be used for their intended purposes and discharge can be demonstrated to represent Best Environmental Practice (BEP).

These regulations were amended in 2011 in order to give the Secretary of State clearer enforcement powers to take enforcement action in respect of unintentional emissions of chemicals. An offence is created under regulations 3A and 18 where any person

20 Decom News: Issue 17

makes a release of an offshore chemical, or allows such a release to continue without the benefit of a permit. The offence is not limited to the operator or permit holder and can be committed by any person. As such, contractors need to complete appropriate due diligence checks to ensure that all necessary permits are in place to cover the scope of the works they intend to carry out. That said, the guidance notes provide that “where there is a permit holder, any notices relating to breaches of the Regulations will normally be served on them, as they have overall responsibility for chemical management. When breaches result from the actions of a contractor, the permit holder will be expected to resolve issues through their contractual arrangements.”

Unintentional releases of chemicals must be reported to DECC’s Offshore Environmental Inspectorate within 6 hours of detection of the release using the PON1 notification form.

Contractors and operators will therefore need to be in a position to act quickly in dealing with any incident. If a person is charged with committing an offence, there is a defence available if the person can show that the contravention arose as a result something that could not reasonably have been prevented, or was done as a matter of emergency for the purposes of securing the safety of any person.

However, such a defence may not be available if the person was at fault or has been negligent in some way and this led to the reasonable action taken.

It is also possible to prosecute an officer of the company personally in addition to the company itself if it can be shown that he has consented to, or connived in the action or has been negligent in some way. Directors and other officers will therefore need to demonstrate that they have appropriate procedures in place to comply with the regulations and that their employees and / or contractors have been given adequate instructions and training prior to the commencement of the decommissioning operations in order to avoid personal liability.

Reservoir hydrocarbons and other hydrocarbons are not controlled under these Regulations; their discharge is controlled under the Offshore Petroleum Activities (Oil Prevention and Control) Regulations 2005.

The DECC guidance notes provide that if a discharge of offshore chemicals is likely to be contaminated with reservoir hydrocarbons, for example a discharge of drilling fluids, then a separate application for an OPPC permit to cover the reservoir hydrocarbons will be needed but it is still recommended that operators refer to any associated discharges of reservoir hydrocarbons in their PON15 applications too.

The Offshore Petroleum Activities (Oil Pollution Prevention and Control) Regulations 2005 These Regulations generally prohibit the discharge of oil into the sea from an offshore installation. As part of the decommissioning programme, operators would need to show how oil recovered during the decommissioning process would be removed and recycled.

Where operators need to discharge or reinject certain types and quantities of oil, an oil discharge permit needs to first be obtained from DECC. Oil discharge permits will normally only be granted to the operator of the acreage or the field but it is recognised that contractors may be appointed to do specific works under the permit. Any application for the permit must include an assessment of the best available techniques (BAT) and BEP and provide an assessment to justify the measures proposed to minimise pollution and limit discharges. DECC issued updated OPPC guidance notes in April 2014 to assist with the permit applications.

As with the Offshore Chemical Regulations, it is an offence for any person to discharge oil or allow a discharge to continue except in accordance with a permit. A similar defence will also apply. However, again the guidance notes say that usually it is the permit holder or operator of the installation that will be pursued as they have overall responsibility for

MEMBER POINT OF VIEW

the activities (including those of contractors) carried out under a permit. The guidance does go on to state that, “the Regulations provide for DECC to be able to investigate all incidents and if required take enforcement action against the permit holder, the 3rd party, or both depending on the circumstances.”

It is interesting that in this later guidance there is a change in emphasis. DECC are now suggesting that they may look beyond the operator when considering enforcement action and could decide that it is appropriate to pursue other third parties depending on the particular circumstances of the case.

Contractual position for environmental liability occurring during decommissioning works Contracts entered into between operators and supply chain companies involved in these activities will need to deal with compliance with environmental regulations governing decommissioning and any liabilities associated with breaches of them. There are a number of different forms of contracts that may be used for decommissioning projects. The approach that is often adopted in these contracts is to have fairly basic mutual hold harmless provisions with respect to environmental liabilities where the areas of responsibility for each party are defined.

However, there are a few points to be aware of in terms of the operation of these types of clauses. First, any indemnities entered into between the parties will not apply to criminal sanctions that may be imposed by the regulators as this would be contrary to public policy. Second, such indemnities will normally apply regardless of the cause of the incident and notwithstanding any negligence or breach of duty of the party that is indemnified. In some circumstances it may be felt that such an approach to environmental liability is not

appropriate and that fault based indemnities would be preferable.

One of the standard contracts for the oil and gas industry is the LOGIC Services (On and Off shore) contract which has been recently updated. Edition 3 was issued in April 2014.

This contract includes mutual hold harmless indemnities to deal with pollution which have been amended. The clauses provide that the operator company indemnifies the contractor against any liability for an incident arising from pollution “emanating from the reservoir or from the property of” the operator company. The contractor indemnifies the operator company against any liability for an incident arising from pollution “occurring on the premises of the contractor or originating from the property or equipment of the contractor group (including but not limited to marine vessels).” These indemnities apply irrespective of the cause of the pollution and notwithstanding the negligence of the indemnified party.

The guidance notes explain that the contractor indemnity has been amended to cover only pollution that ‘originates’ from the contractor’s property or equipment rather than ‘emanating’ from, which is used in the operator company’s indemnity. The intention is to recognise that the contractor is only liable for pollution which originates from its property and equipment and not reservoir or other operator company pollution which may be present in and emanates from the contractor’s equipment.

Whilst this particular clarification is helpful to contractors, there is still a need to further tighten up the drafting in this contract and include appropriate definitions to ensure there is a clear delineation between the responsibilities of contractors and operators for environmental liabilities. www.bonddickinson.com

Sarah Holmes Senior Counsel, Bond Dickinson

Claire Brook Partner, Bond Dickinson

www.decomnorthsea.com 21

PARTNER NEWS

NOF Energy National Conference Moves NOF Energy has announced its 2015 national conference, ‘Energy: A Balanced Future’, will take place at Sage Gateshead to meet growing interest in the event.

Taking place on 10 and 11 March 2015, the fifth-annual conference and exhibition will also include, for the first time, sessions on a number of new energy resources and the opportunities they will present for supply chain companies.

Energy: A Balanced Future attracts speakers, exhibitors and delegates from across the UK, Europe and around the world to discuss the future of the energy sectors served by a multiskilled, adaptable, integrated supply chain.

The 2014 conference, which was held at the Hilton Newcastle-Gateshead, attracted in excess of 400 delegates and NOF Energy expects a higher number of attendees in 2015 based on pre-registrations of interest.

Alongside the conference will be an exhibition that will double in size in comparison to previous years. The exhibition will feature members of the supply chain showcasing

the skills, products and services offered to the energy sector and will offer an ideal location for networking.

Energy: A Balanced Future has become an established national event on the energy sector calendar. It provides information and the opportunity to debate developments in the oil, gas, nuclear and offshore renewables sectors not only in the UK but also internationally.

After making its debut on the conference agenda in 2014, Shale Gas will continue to be a key element of the event. There will also be a forward looking element with leading individuals from Durham Energy Institute providing an insight to emerging energy sources such as deep geo-thermal and solar.

George Rafferty, Chief Executive of NOF Energy, said: “The interest Energy: A Balanced Future has generated across the industry in the

past five years has been phenomenal.

“We are really looking forward to hosting the event at Sage Gateshead, which has become one of the UK’s most iconic venues.

While it is sad to move the conference from the Newcastle-Gateshead Hilton, which has been really supportive in helping to establish the conference, this new setting represents the importance of this event to the energy industry.

“We have seen, year on year, an increase in delegates and exhibitors for the conference, which reflects the role NOF Energy plays in supporting the industry and the aspirations of supply chain companies keen to secure a proportion of the opportunities being created by the investments being made in the energy sector.” www.nofenergy.co.uk

Sir Ian’s hopes for Southern North Sea Sir Ian Wood told delegates at the EEEGR 2014 Conference that good leadership would see the Southern North Sea (SNS) gas industry revitalised.

He said that when he first began his national report for government on maximising the assets of the North Sea oil and gas industry he got the impression the SNS was facing its sunset.

“But from what I’ve seen and listened to since, the area still has lots of potential although it will need a change in behaviour of the operators because we are already a long way down the road. In the right hands it can be revitalised,” said Sir Ian, chairman of J W Holdings.

He believed traditional attitudes and operations would have to change and it was essential to cut costs through technology, collaboration and cluster working - backed by supply chain innovation and support.

It was also important to press Government for a more appropriate tax regime for the gas industry; something to encourage more exploration which would lead to more gas and, ultimately, to higher tax revenue.

He warned of tired facilities and tired

22 Decom News: Issue 17

operators in the industry but believed the tripartite of working between HM Treasury, the regulator and the industry itself could achieve the recovery of an extra 3-4 billions barrels of North Sea oil and gas over the next two decades.

His recommendations had won the backing of the Prime Minster and chancellor and, later in the conference - part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund - delegates heard from Shadow Energy Minister Tom Greatrex that the Labour Party supported the Wood Review but turning it into reality to produce the maximum benefits would be a major challenge.

He also expected that Labour’s plans to freeze energy prices for 20 months if it formed the next Government would not impact on investment in the SNS - but would help create much more transparency and confidence for consumers.

Mr Greatrex said he was well aware of, and impressed by, the breadth and variety of the

mix of energy resources in the East of England and recognised incentives needed to bring investment and job opportunities to the region.

A special break-out session at the conference was held to look more closely at new safety measures for helicopters serving the oil and gas industry It focused particularly on a requirement that new Category A Emergency Breathing Systems will have to be worn by every passenger on such helicopters. Until that can happen, each passenger must sit by an emergency exit, making many of the central seats temporarily redundant.

Among guests speakers was Alistair Riches, from CHC Helicopter Services, Les Linklater from Step Change in Safety, and Michael Wilder from Petans, the Norwich-based training centre which is planning an intense series of OPITO approved courses to help tackle a major issue for thousands of operatives. www.eeegr.com

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CLAXTON MAKES IT HAPPEN ON TYRA EAST. By completing what is believed to be the first rigless recovery of a stuck bottom hole assembly (BHA), Claxton took away a significant operational headache on the Tyra East field during a recent slot recovery.

Our rigless approach reduced costs for the field operator and our experience, tooling and personnel enabled their conductor to be recovered four days faster than planned.

Read the case study for this project at: www.claxtonengineering.com/stuckBHA

Pictured: A Claxton 300te tension ring securing the Tyra East conductor during pinning, cutting and recovery

www.decomnorthsea.com 23

MEMBER NEWS

Aberdeen Harbour Plans Recognised

By Government Aberdeen Harbour has welcomed the announcement that its potential plans for the development of additional facilities at Nigg Bay have been included in the Scottish Government’s third National Planning Framework (NPF3), published on the 23rd June.

The document, which outlines the Scottish Government’s national development priorities for the next 20-30 years, has named the Nigg Bay Project as one of only 14 developments the government believes to be of strategic significance for Scotland and its future prosperity.

Welcoming the announcement, Chief Executive of Aberdeen Harbour, Colin Parker, said: “It is the Board’s belief that expansion of the harbour is vital in order to retain and grow existing activity, further reinforcing

Colin Parker, Chief Executive of Aberdeen Harbour Aberdeen’s role as a major economic driver for the Scottish Economy. Our inclusion in NPF3 demonstrates that the Scottish Government shares this view.

We believe that the benefits for our customers of development of additional facilities at Nigg Bay are many, including the ability to accommodate the new generation of larger subsea vessels required to support IRM and Decommisioning activities, and improved access by road and rail”.

Aberdeen Harbour’s visionary project represents a significant operational cost-capping opportunity for the sector, allowing their vessels to berth in Aberdeen, close to the well-established supply chain and subsea centre of excellence, and avoiding the cost and risk associated with road transportation of materials to and from alternative ports. www.aberdeen-harbour.co.uk

Hot-Work Free Decommissioning When it comes to the decommissioning of offshore and onshore platforms and facilities and the cutting of pipes, breaking of joints and temporary piping system construction, the use of hot-work techniques that require access to gases, ignition sources and flames are still relatively common.

Such activities, however, come with inherent risk when it comes to offshore safety. The UK Health & Safety Executive reported 94 Dangerous Occurrences (DO) on offshore platforms due to hydrocarbon release during 2012/2013 and the Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority reported 62 annual hydrocarbon releases and fires during 2012.

In April 2013, Oil & Gas Technology Magazine went as far as to describe hot-work as “one of the riskiest activities operators can undertake and a leading cause of industrial fires.” Decommissioning and the period between cessation of production and establishing a hydrocarbon-free environment can also be a vulnerable time for operators with intense joint-break activities and time pressures, the transportation of cut and open pipes, and the need for chemicals and gasses.

Yet, can hot-work be completely dispensed with during decommissioning and are there alternatives?

The last few years have seen significant developments in cold-work based pipe connections solutions that require no access to heat sources but deliver a secure, leak-free and pressure-tight connection every bit as robust as hot-work alternatives. Through proper planning, the adoption of innovative technologies and working with the right company, the prospect of an entire hot-work free decommissioning process does exist.

24 Decom News: Issue 17

A hot-work free environment has been the key objective behind Norwegian-based Quickflange and its safe and simple cold-work connection solution where the flange is machined in such a way that it can slide onto the pipe.

Flexibility and integration of the new solution with other sytems is vital, with the Quickflange connection solution able to be combined with other cold-work systems such as pipe cutting and spark-free grinding.

Furthermore, the fact that the Quickflange is based on modified standard weld neck flanges means that it can easily tie into existing or prefabricated flanged spools.

The Quickflange also covers a wide variety of pipe sizes, pipe materials, ratings and flange types with the inevitable time and cost savings compared to the people and permit requirements of hot-work environment making it ideally suited for decommissioning.

Piping connections have come a long way over the last few years making hot-work free decommissioning a genuine prospect. Through a coordinated approach and continued cold-work innovations, operators can look forward to improved safety and the highest standards in pipeline integrity. www.quickflange.com

MEMBER NEWS

Sky-Futures Wins Award Sky-Futures, which provides unmanned aerial vehicle oil and gas inspection services, is proud to announce that it won the Innovator category at GrowthAccelerator’s The Brave & The Bold awards.

The award was presented to Sky-Futures by the Technology Strategy Board, the category sponsor, for demonstrating a new and innovative way of approaching business.

Exclusively for GrowthAccelerator clients, the inaugural ‘The Brave & The Bold’ awards celebrated the successes of the country’s brightest and most ambitious businesses. The ceremony was held on the evening of June 5 in London’s Mayfair.

Technology Strategy Board Chief Executive, Iain Gray said: “Sky-Futures has been rewarded for adapting military technology to capitalise on market opportunities in the oil and gas sector and establishing a culture of innovation throughout the team.

“We’re proud to have supported GrowthAccelerator’s inaugural business Awards, and in particular championed this year’s

Innovator Award that celebrates a UK high growth innovative business poised for further success. My congratulations go to Sky-Futures, who were very worthy winners.”

James Harrison, Commercial Director at SkyFutures comments: “We owe a great deal to the GrowthAccelerator scheme that has helped our business focus on rapid growth across the global energy marketplace. We are delighted that our solution using UAVs to save time, cut cost and improve safety in the Oil and Gas market has been recognised by the wider business community as being truly innovative. We have come a long way in three and a half years and look forward to an exciting future as the global leader in oilfield inspections using cutting edge UAV technology.”

Stephen Peacock, Director of Operations at GrowthAccelerator, says, “The standard of entries

Nick Rogers and Chris Blackford, Sky-Futures

for The Brave & The Bold has been incredibly high and the competition amongst shortlists was fierce. Those selected as winners have achieved truly remarkable growth and serve as shining examples of British enterprise at its finest.”

GrowthAccelerator is currently supporting over 15,000 high growth businesses in England in achieving their growth ambitious. www.sky-futures.com

www.decomnorthsea.com 25

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Cost-effective subsea decommissioning solutions.

Delivered by experts.

Find out more at: www.ois-ltd.com/SWAT

26 Decom News: Issue 17

MEMBER NEWS

First Rigless Removal of a Stuck Bottom Hole Assembly Claxton Engineering Services Ltd, an Acteon company, has completed the first rigless removal of a stuck bottom hole assembly (BHA). The work was completed during a slot recovery operation using an innovative approach at Maersk’s Tyra East field in the Danish sector of the North Sea. The well was drilled in the 1980s and, during construction, the BHA had become stuck in the conductor pipe and prevented well completion.

Claxton used its slot recovery methodology and tooling, specialist cutting equipment and a dive support vessel to solve the issue.

The programme began with the deployment of a specialist casing cutting system to remove a section of the conductor, which left the stuck BHA intact but exposed. This called for modification of the cutting equipment and the subsea application of a system that is normally used on the surface.

Once the conductor had been cut and removed, Claxton engineers prepared a specialised lifting device using an air hoist on deck deployed through an A-frame, while divers clamped the lifting gear to the BHA. The BHA was too heavy to recover in one piece and had

to be cut subsea. This involved using two sizes of diamond wire-cutting machine: the smaller to sever only the exposed BHA, and the larger to cut simultaneously through the remaining conductor stump and the BHA. The cut needed to give a smooth and flush surface on the end of the conductor. Once the cutting machine had sliced through the conductor and the BHA, the top section was recovered.

During planning, the orientation of the remaining BHA relative to the conductor stump was uncertain. Claxton created a unique whipstock with a slot beneath the landing plate that would enable it to capture the exposed part of the BHA securely in any orientation. The top half of the whipstock would rotate on this base and enable the new well to be kicked off in any direction. Claxton’s experience in whipstock design ensured an effective design for the project.

The initial project schedule was 20 days.

However, the Claxton-led team completed the operation in less than 16 days, including more than three days waiting-on-weather.

Alex Lucas, senior drilling engineer, Maersk drilling department, said, “This was a very challenging piece of work requiring integrated planning across many departments and companies, not to mention the extensive amount of design, manufacturing and testing of equipment that Claxton designed especially for the job in doublequick time.”

Claxton completed the world’s first rigless platform well abandonment over a decade ago and has subsequently deployed its cutting and recovery tooling on more than 270 successful conductor cutting, recovery and abandonment operations. www.claxtonengineering.com

SLR Making A Splash In The North Sea SLR is recognised globally as one of the leading independent Waste Management Consultancies, and against a backdrop of their established track record for innovation in Oil Spill and operational Waste Management Planning, recently extended their offering to support Decommissioning Waste ‘challenges’ in the North Sea. Duncan Thomas, Technical Director for SLR’s Aberdeen office commented, “SLR, whilst already active in the North Sea Decommissioning sector, is looking to bring a unique combination of strategic planning, contract

support and waste/inventory management skills together with the objective to assist UKCS operators to maximise resource recovery, reduce liabilities and where possible offset end of life asset management costs associated with their decommissioning challenges” “In particular, SLR’s in-house Inventory Waste Management tool alongside their multi-disciplinary cross-industry experience is being used to assess the opportunities and identify ways to overcome the barriers to re-use of recovered components and equipment within the sector. In the context of the benefits of early engagement, SLR believes that this approach will in-turn lead to more informed contract procurement and management, and the potential for shared benefits associated with maximising value from re-use” Duncan further commented, “We look forward to working closely with Decom North Sea and their members on these issues in the challenging months and years to come.” www.slrconsulting.com

www.decomnorthsea.com 27

MEMBER NEWS

ABB’s Decom Team Grows ABB Consulting’s Asset Closure group have moved into their newly refurbished Aberdeen offices at Altens Industrial Estate to join the already growing team of dedicated ABB Oil & Gas professionals servicing the UKCS. The group, which is headed up by Steve Andrew, sees Oil & Gas in the UKCS as the next big opportunity for the business to expand its operations and expand their decommissioning services.

The team have a wealth of experience in managing decommissioning projects across a wide range of hazardous industries.

Recently ABB won its 7th consecutive gold award from RoSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents). The award was presented at the society’s Occupational Health & Safety Awards ceremony, which took place in June this year. The award was presented in recognition of the rigorous safety management, standards and performance in 2013 to the joint ABB Consulting and ExxonMobil investigation and decommissioning project team.

Most recently, ABB joined the Oil & Gas UK Decommissioning Steering Group (DSG) to be part of the team which drives and co-ordinates the multiple decommissioning projects being carried out by the industry. In May, ABB also joined Decom North Sea, Steve Andrew saw the joining of Decom North Sea organisation as a turning point for the team, ABB has now been recognised by the Oil & Gas sector as a valuable resource of not only experienced professionals but also providing industry best practice processes that the team brings from more than 25 years of experience. www.abb.com

Prima Uno Shortlisted for Awards Prima Uno - a Decom North Sea Member has been short listed for two categories for the BECBC BUSINESS AWARDS 2014 in Cumbria!

• Growing Business of the Year Sponsored by Morgan Sindall and ARUP in joint venture Shortlisted companies: Forth Engineering (Cumbria) Ltd; Prima Uno Planning and Programming Ltd; Safety Critical • BECBC Small Business of the Year Sponsored by EnergySolutions Shortlisted companies: Centre for Leadership Performance; Prima Uno Planning and Programming Ltd; Safety Critical Prima Uno specialises in project planning, project controls, programme audit / interrogation, dispute resolution (forensic planning and contractual claims), and associated specialist consultancy services to public and private sector clients in the UK. Prima Uno have recently moved to new offices. www.primauno.co.uk

BOOKINGS NOW OPEN

Offshore Decommissioning Conference 2014 Delivering the Future Together Fairmont Hotel, St Andrews, 7th – 9th October

The annual Offshore Decommissioning Conference organised by Decom North Sea in partnership with Oil & Gas UK will be held at the Fairmont Hotel in St Andrews again this year. Last year’s sell-out event was attended by over 300 delegates from the UK, Norway, The Netherlands and the USA – don’t miss your chance to be involved in this key industry event.

Organised by

Principal Sponsor

For more information please visit www.decomnorthsea.com/events.cfm

28 Decom News: Issue 17

Supporting Sponsors

MEMBER NEWS

Aubin Integrity Aubin Integrity are emerging as an important provider of ground-breaking solutions to urgent challenges facing operators of aging offshore infrastructure both in the UKCS and internationally.

Ranging from temporary seals to permanent fixes, the company is leading the way by developing innovative products to seal and restore integrity to offshore assets. Aubin is advancing its line of integrity products, including AXI-Cast, which can be utilised in subsea repairs, along with AXI-Lokk and AXI-Gard, which are used for plugging and corrosion mitigation. The range of integrity products has been designed to work at temperatures up to 120°C with tailored specific gravity and viscosity selection to suit breach location.

The growing Aubin Integrity team includes Subsea Engineers, Project Managers and Product Development Chemists with years of subsea and integrity experience. The team are working on projects to restore integrity to flexible risers, seal pipework for decommissioning and protect structures from corrosion. This includes a number of projects to help mitigate corrosion in hard to access areas around the critical splash zone region of offshore platforms where the seawater and air interface can lead to integrity issues.

These projects serve to maximise the remnant life of risers and can defer or obviate the major capital expenditure which would be required if the degraded risers had to be replaced.

David Aitken, Subsea Product Line Manager at Aubin Group said: “North Sea assets were built with a lifespan of around 25 years and to withstand the conditions of this particularly harsh environment. These assets are still producing and expected to do-so for some time, however breaches and corrosion are challenging their integrity. Our range of products can provide quick and easy to deploy, temporary or permanent fixes if there is a leak in flexible and rigid pipework, by creating a seal around or within a breach.”

The company recently helped resolve one operator’s major integrity issue in the leg of a North Sea platform through development of its AXI-Lokk technology to create an internal pipework sealant on an asset in record time enabling repair intervention following a serious breach in integrity. www.aubin.co.uk

Cyberhawk Inspections Create Real Independence Over the past four years, Cyberhawk has carried out ROAV inspections for all six supermajors across the UK, Europe, Middle East and Asia.

The company continues to look for ways in which it can add value to its ROAV proposition by improving its customers’ operations – right down to the most practical issues.

Limited bed space on platforms is a prime example: it is an issue for all operators, risking a ‘bed bust’ for all non-essential projects. In order to alleviate the problem of onboard accommodation, Cyberhawk has been focusing efforts in further developing its inspection methodology to allow greater independence from the platform.

In April 2014, Cyberhawk was called by an Oil and Gas supermajor as there was a requirement to conduct a close visual inspection to quantify a workscope for fabric maintenance. The scope of work included CVI of the platforms flare, flare boom, platform bridge link, underdeck, jack-up legs, jacket on the wellhead platform and the conductor guide frame. This time Cyberhawk was able to operate from a supply vessel, providing the same standard of inspection imagery as previous ROAV inspections; it meant

that the inspection could be completed without affecting the platform’s operations or bed space Thousands of images and high-definition video of the platform were captured, allowing a full inspection report on all of the requirements set out in the scope of work. By operating from the back of a vessel Cyberhawk’s inspection team was able to control the angle of the line of sight by moving the vessel around the platform. The result was a more detailed inspection of the platform’s underdeck and splash zone.

A previous inspection of an identical scope of work took a six-man rope access team over three months. By contrast Cyberhawk was able to complete the inspection in just 10 days.

It all adds up greater efficiency, improved safety and considerable costsavings. Operators can now carry out detailed multi-scope inspections without any effect on operations, logistics, bed space or the welfare team. www.thecyberhawk.com

www.decomnorthsea.com 29

MEMBER NEWS

West Oil Tools

Future Looking Bright For The Past

ITF’s decommissioning workshop, held in conjunction with Decom North Sea in May, is stimulating innovation with West Oil Tools now applying for funding to develop its conductor removal technology.

The ‘Capturing the Energy’ (CtE) initiative, which is working with the offshore oil and gas industry to preserve a record of the North Sea success story, has been boosted by the recent award of funding

by Oil & Gas UK and the subsequent appointment of a full-time Project Development Officer, Katy Johnson, based at University of Aberdeen.

The technology addresses the issue of “more efficient and automated rigless conductor removal”- one of the top ten challenges identified at the event.

West Oil Tools, a Norwegian company with offices in Aberdeen, provide modular hoisting technologies for use in workover and abandonment services. Responding to a number of similar client requests West Oil Tools developed the patent pending Rollon Omega concept.

The concept is for a low cost, small footprint, minimum POB (3 crew/shift), unit specifically designed for no-manhandling and no platform crane support. It consists of 2 main decks, the lower to support the weight of cut sections and the upper for hoist, control cabin, pipe deck crane and cutting/pinning bench.

To improve reliability the unit, wherever possible, uses commercially available components. The primary hoist is a sectional hydraulic gantry rated for 600T pull and 20M travel with the deck crane handling 2 3/8” to 36” pipe. A sophisticated HMI with intelligent status monitoring enables the various conductor recovery activities to be fully automated with the crew monitoring only and overriding if needed.

Mr Samuel Muren, West Oil Tools MD, said “it is difficult for a small company to bring such technologies to market quickly, and a joint industry approach is valuable, both in terms of the funding secured and the engagement with potential users. With the right resources in place, we could be ready for fabrication by the end of the year”. www.westoiltools.com

“Availability of direct funding has provided an injection of momentum into our efforts and will greatly enhance our ability to encourage all levels of the sector to make provisions for historical records” comments Katy. “For example, in conjunction with the Glasgowbased surveying officer of the Business Archives Council of Scotland (BACS), we will be recommencing our programme of surveys in

local companies and organisations to assess what historically significant records are held across the industry.”

Launched in 2006, CtE has already successfully completed a documentation project for TOTAL’s cross-boundary Frigg Field and is currently in discussions with CNR International to develop a framework for retention of records relating to the Murchison Field.

“Our inclusion in DECC’s “Guidance Notes for Decommissioning” is a significant step for CtE as it encourages operators to discuss their historical records with us at decommissioning” Katy explains. “We hope that this will lead to further documentation projects and develop a comprehensive archive of the industry’s achievements. Our current direct interface with individuals, the supply chain and membership organisations, like Decom North Sea, is assisting us with developing an appropriate process model for the increasing number of potential new projects.”

“Our growing archive will not only ensure retention of valuable historical records for future generations, but is also creating an invaluable, publicly-accessible resource, in conjunction with other projects at the University.”

If you have any interest in participating in this exciting and worthwhile initiative, find out more at – www.capturing-the-energy.org.uk

Steve McGregor (left), Communications Analyst of CNR International discussing potential Murchison archive item donations with Capturing the Energy’s, Katy Johnson (Project Development Officer) and Steering Group Convenor, Jim Rae (right) at Aberdeen Maritime Museum

30 Decom News: Issue 17

MEMBER NEWS

Development of the SabreAir Zone1 BA Compressor Sureclean approached specialist safety and gas services company Sabre Safety with the company’s requirements for a 4 outlet BA Compressor.

Sureclean had a number of specific requirements which included a containerised monitor which could provide constant air monitoring and a temperature controlled system which could provide quality air for up to 4 people at once.

Time and safety benefits Sureclean specialises in tank cleaning operations, with confined space entry often a necessity to carry out these works on offshore installations and FPSOs. The safety of employees is the main priority when confined space works are in operation, and, to ensure this, the company needs the latest technology.

The SabreAir Zone 1 compressor meets Lloyds, DNV, ABS and NORSOK 15 standards.

Time is also a significant factor whilst carrying out these works and it is anticipated

that the compressor, being self-contained will offer savings on time and cost.

It is essential that Sabre Safety equipment is Atex certified for use in Zone 1 hazardous areas, allowing the compressors to be as close to the working environment as possible. Sureclean were looking for a BA compressor that would provide product up-time and be ‘plug and play’ equipment - with operations able to start immediately.

There is no need to set anything up, and there’s no need to monitor the ductwork either.

This means that the standby operator at the compressor can concentrate solely on the air delivery and looking after the men at the worksite – so everyone can focus on the task in hand. In the Sabreair, air is continuously available 24/7, even if scopes grow - and there is no downtime waiting on air bottle delivery, refilling or charging.

A wide range of applications The new Zone 1 compressor from Sabre Safety will be of use across a wide range of applications – from shotblasting and spraypainting to welding and confined space working including decom and leg entry work on rigs. www.sabreh2s.com

Accepting the Challenge Decommissioning projects are a drain on operators’ profits and resources and consequently the challenge to develop new technology to reduce costs is possibly even more important than for new developments.

One of the key challenges is the removal of large subsea structures. At present the options are either removing them as a single item using

the largest HLVs which are costly and in short supply or removing them piece small which involves significant diving operations with its associated hazards. However, Aberdeen based company, Subsea Deployment Systems (SDS), has developed a method that allows single piece removal without the need for a HLV or significant diving works. The capital cost of the system is less than 1% of a HLV and the operating cost less than 10%. It is safer than a conventional lift and it can operate in more severe weather than conventional crane vessels.

All aspects of the system are based on basic physics and existing technology but combined in a manner that provides a surprisingly simple solution.

The system has been reviewed by operators, contractors and independent consultants and is accepted as a proven concept but it still remains on the drawing board due to the inherent conservatism within the industry; no one wants to be first even where there are significant cost and safety benefits. The challenge is therefore not so much to develop new technology but to accept the technology when it is presented. It has often been said that if you keep doing what you have always done you will keep getting what you have always got.

Subsea Deployment Systems is actively seeking a partner that can bring this concept to market. www.sdsltd-uk.com

www.decomnorthsea.com 31

MEMBER NEWS

IP Ownership Issues Arising From Use Of Consultants Many businesses use selfemployed consultants/ contractors to do R&D work on their behalf. This can cause difficulties around ownership of IP in the inventions they create.

The legal position is very clear – IP rights in inventions are owned by the creator of the invention. So if a business engages a consultant or contractor to do their R&D work, the consultant or contractor will own the resulting IP rights. This can cause difficulties, particularly

if the consultant stops working for the business and moves to one of its competitors.

The position regarding IP rights in written materials, graphics and software is similar.

If there is no agreement in place, the courts will usually imply a licence to allow the business to keep using the IP rights. However, it will generally not be an exclusive licence, which means the consultant can also keep using the IP rights and can also make them available to other businesses.

The most straightforward solution to this is to ensure that contracts with consultants and contractors provide for all IP rights arising from their work to be transferred to the business.

If this is not done at the time of signing the contracts, a separate agreement can be drafted

Susan Snedden, Maclay, Murray & Spens

to transfer the rights retrospectively.

Businesses should keep their contracts with consultants and contractors under regular review. The scope of the R&D work being undertaken may evolve from what was originally agreed in the contract, which may mean that new inventions are not covered.

Contracts can be future-proofed to avoid all of these potential issues. www.mms.co.uk

Jee Decommissioning Experience Jee Ltd is a subsea engineering and training firm with extensive decommissioning expertise gained from a multitude of projects completed for global operators.

The company provides integrated services covering the whole life-of-field and has comprehensive decommissioning capabilities.

Jee acted as the BP client representative during the decommissioning of the North West Hutton subsea infrastructure. The campaign involved the decommissioning of two pipelines, a 12.6km, 10� gas import line (PL 147) and a 12.8km, 20� oil export line (PL 148) and their associated equipment.

During the project there were a number of lessons learned. One of the most standout features was time-saving opportunities within mattress decommissioning. It was found that a move away from traditional methods is required

32 Decom News: Issue 17

to make way for new and more efficient mattress recovery techniques - an essential time-saver for the entire industry.

The work also highlighted tool selection as critical for success in decommissioning projects.

Various cutting techniques including abrasive water jetting, band saw and chop saw were used at North West Hutton. The hydraulic shear performed best, however it was found that the shear crimped the pipeline and, in some cases, formed a seal that trapped water in the pipe, which caused some issues during transportation and disposal.

One of the greatest successes was during the close-out process. The project team developed a Material Recovery Manifest (MRM)

providing a method of tracking each item from its position subsea, to the point it was handed over to the waste disposal contractors.

Each item was catalogued during the execution phase and, once complete, the information passed on to the Third Party Verifiers making the process effortless as it was clear to see the necessary items were removed.

Jee found that increasing efficiency is the main way to drive down estimated decommissioning costs, and collaboration is crucial in the sector. Lessons should be captured at all stages of a decommissioning project, formatted in a consistent way, collated and made available to all operators. www.jee.co.uk

MEMBER NEWS

Sureclean Invests £3m in Next-Generation Safety Equipment International Industrial Cleaning contractor, Sureclean, has recently invested over £3 million in next- generation safety technology including their latest equipment arrival; low pressure BA Compressor Systems.

Aberdeen and Alness based Sureclean is enhancing its equipment fleet by investing a substantial sum into their breathing apparatus equipment by purchasing four, 4 outlet LP BA Compressors. Specifically designed and custom

built, this equipment is ATEX certified, suitable for use in Zone I hazardous areas and provides a continuous supply of high quality breathing air.

Designed for use during confined-space entry works, these compressors provide real-time air quality monitoring and are easily deployed, complying with Sureclean’s ‘plug and play’ philosophy.

With an inbuilt failsafe system, the BA compressors deliver air at a desired temperature, with the integrity of the air constantly monitored, simultaneously providing a more comfortable and safer system.

In addition to the BA Compressor Systems, Sureclean has also made significant investment into other confined space safety equipment including ATEX certified LED work lights, personal and area gas monitoring equipment

“”

Our in-house research and development work, coupled with specialist technologies, has put Sureclean at the forefront of industry developments. We strive to maintain this position and will continue to invest in the company in the long term.

John Barron Manging Director, Sureclean

and high definition camera inspection systems.

Managing Director John Barron commented: “We pride ourselves on our ‘brain over brawn’ philosophy, which proves that enhanced safety and productivity can be simultaneously achieved.

One example of this is our investment in BA Compressor technology, which demonstrates that our innovative solutions not only handle operational requirements but also improve productivity and safety.” www.sureclean.com

OIL STATES BARROW

email: David.Howell@oilstates.com

www.decomnorthsea.com 33

MEMBER NEWS

MSIS Interactive Demo Day On July 2nd the independent specialist cleaning services provider, MSIS, hosted an extremely successful interactive demo day for clients and those working in the energy sector at its equipment sales and rental and project management support facility in Inverurie.

The event proved a great success for MSIS, with attendance exceeding estimated figures. Hosted by the senior management team, the workshop provided a brilliant opportunity for MSIS to interact directly with clients in the energy sector and to showcase the specialist products the company provides for rental and purchase.

Ken Salmon, General Manager Oilfield Services, said “Having recently joined MSIS, the client open day was a great opportunity to view the services and equipment close up and see it in action. The positivity and enthusiasm of the staff was there for all to see and to me one of the reasons MSIS is held in high regard in the market place.

“Additionally, it was a great opportunity to interact with the clients to get a feel for the business. This was a very successful event and we look forward to further events moving forward to continually develop the business to suit the needs of the market. My thanks to all the staff for their efforts and the clients for taking time from their busy schedules to attend and help to make the day a success.�

Following an introductory presentation, attendees were treated to live demonstrations and previews of emerging technologies, including sponge and dry ice blasting equipment. Clients were also given an exclusive insight into the specialist equipment that MSIS offers.

The event was extremely rewarding for MSIS and has provided a great foundation for future events. www.msisgroup.com

Global reach local touch SLR provides environmental and technical services for all stages of the oil and gas value chain from exploration through to retail across the globe. Our strong technical capabilities, especially in extreme conditions, coupled with unrivalled commercial expertise, enable us to develop fully-integrated and holistic solutions to resolve petrotechnical, environmental and social risk.

With 70 offices worldwide, including seven specialist oil and gas centres, covering 68 technical disciplines, SLR has the scope and scale to deliver. Our local knowledge combined with global experience is equally valued by majors, independents, contractors, associations, governments and policy-makers.

SLR's comprehensive range of consultancy services supports all stages of the project life-cycle. From exploration strategy expertise and expert project development support (including social engagement, regulatory, environmental, geoscience and waste) to creating world-class integrated management systems for late life asset management and decommissioning.

Whatever and wherever your needs, please contact our local expert teams:

www.slrconsulting.com

De co mm

isioni

ng

Duncan Thomas, SLR Consulting Limited, 214 Union Street, Aberdeen AB10 1TL T: 01224 517405 M: +44 (0) 7786 965191 E: dthomas@slrconsulting.com

34 Decom News: Issue 17

MEMBER NEWS

360°Sitesurvey™ – Taking 3D Laser Surveys To The Next Level Decom North Sea member NATAS, synonymous with pushing the boundaries of technical innovation in the field of asbestos management, have teamed up with 360° photography experts to develop a ground-breaking new service, 360SiteSurvey™ for undertaking 360°HD/3D surveys in virtually any environment.

What is a 360SiteSurvey™ ?

It is the combination of very high definition 360° photography with 3D laser scanning to produce an amazing real-life 360° survey portal in which the user can totally immerse themselves within the surveyed environment and experience amazing quality interactive images, coupled with equally amazing point-cloud data captured by 3D laser scanning. Surveys can be undertaken of any structure internally and externally, hazardous and non-hazardous. There are a plethora of benefits and the applications are virtually limitless.

Necessity is the mother in invention NATAS initially pioneered the use of 360° photography to enhance its asbestos . CBT and e-learning courses by surveying buildings and using the 360° images to allow walk-throughs of real asbestos containing environments in which asbestos products can be identified and clicked-on to learn about their risks and associated safety information. Other applications were then considered and NATAS persuaded a nuclear Parent Body Organisation client (PBO) to test the service within the confines of a nuclear reactor where NATAS are engaged as asbestos consultants for its decommissioning and demolition. The results were truly groundbreaking and received with great acclaim by the PBO, Regulators and Contractors alike.

NATAS’ consultants, as part of a large technical team, needed to regularly enter the controlled, radiologically hazardous areas of the reactor to inspect, photograph, measure, assess and plan the ensuing decontamination and de-planting processes with the inherent risks of exposure to radiological and asbestos hazards.

Following an initial trial of 360SiteSurvey™, the scope of the full survey was then developed and executed over a 3 day period in October 2013, and the survey delivered on a secure bespoke 360SiteSurvey™ web based portal, just a few weeks later.

Expectations surpassed The results were beyond all expectations, with 60 crystal clear, bright, very high definition 360° photographic images and corresponding 3D point-cloud data of all accessible areas of the reactor primary containment, which has a volume of approximately 6500 cubic metres split into 5, extremely complex levels.

Benefits still being discovered The benefits of the survey are still emerging at differing stages of the project and depending on the roles and objectives of users. Some examples are; entries to the controlled areas have significantly reduced with a corresponding reduction in the predicted radiation dose update.

From the desktop, iPad or tablet, users can identify locations, items and systems, zoom-in and capture images as if they were directly in front of the subject. These can be annotated, book-marked, shared, emailed or linked to and form documents such as contract tenders, work packs and permits, safety cases etc.; working teams are remotely briefed and instructed using the survey as if standing in the work areas; precise measurements can be taken using the 3D laser point-cloud data for waste volume calculations, clash detection, hypothetical scenarios; Regulators and other stakeholders can view, explore and appreciate the complexities of the work areas without the need to enter, and can be remotely accessed while off-site ; the progress of the decommissioning work is captured for

review and historical use; Workers can take the survey with them into the working areas on iPad or Tablet and refer to precise information and data while work is in progress; further photos and images can captured in the work area and linked to the survey. Project progress can be captured and recorded to provide a project timeline with historical reviews. Videoconference meetings can access the live 360SiteSurvey portal.

Reducing radiation exposures Since its implementation, there are significant savings in predicted radiation dose update and this can only increase as the project evolves over the coming few years. This is primarily due to the reduced need for personal entry and reducing the time for on the job briefings within the controlled environments.

Multiple sectors options including Offshore The success of 360SiteSurvey™ within the nuclear decommissioning sector is being repeated in other sectors such as building and structure decommissioning and demolitions. NATAS use the technology to deliver asbestos surveys to its many clients, some of whom operate remote and difficult to access sites. Once the survey data is captured it can be used for many other purposes such as for Measurements, CAD and 3D modelling. Potential use within the North Sea decommissioning sector is of obvious interest and NATAS welcomes enquires from interested parties. NATAS can provide demonstrations of existing projects and offer free pilot surveys where appropriate. When potential clients see their own structures in 360SiteSurvey™ format, minds start racing and the many benefits can be appreciated, often with new and distinct angles, particular to their line of work. www.360SiteSurvey.com

www.decomnorthsea.com 35

MEMBER NEWS

New Joint Industry Decommissioning Projects One of the most effective ways of addressing challenges in the oil and gas sector is to cooperate with industry partners via Joint Industry Initiatives. This increases the speed of innovation and the result is often industry leading best practices and standards.

Decommissioning, including plug and abandonment, removal and disposal, is a key area of an assets lifecycle and the development of joint initiatives to address the needs of the industry is one key area of focus for DNV GL. Drilling & Well JIP for Well Plug and Abandonment (P & A) DNV GL has been working with clients to address P&A challenges for a number of years and believe that the time is now right to launch a JIP that will help to reduce the costs and uncertainties that are currently holding the industry back from undertaking major P&A campaigns.

Prescriptive requirements need updating with risk based acceptance criteria, and regulators are looking to the industry to take a lead on approaching P&A challenges from a new angle. This JIP will accelerate the development of new concepts by delivering a common set of requirements that can be used by the industry to design new solutions and evaluate their performance. These requirements will include a description of the required functions, acceptance criteria and performance expectations that new P&A solutions should aim to fulfil, in order to bring about the significant cost reductions that the industry is calling for.

This JIP will document current P&A methods and requirements, perform a functional analysis of these current methods, generate high-level concepts or pathways for future development and invite industry to participate in a subsequent innovation and development phase where operators and suppliers may develop new market-ready technologies.

Environmental Recommended Practice JIP for offshore Decommissioning The offshore oil and gas industry faces a major challenge in achieving and demonstrating a minimum environmental footprint from the

decommissioning of redundant offshore installations. Key environmental challenges exist, related to identifying and managing hazardous substances and waste management.

Through its 20 years of experience in decommissioning, DNV GL, has been exposed to various methodologies and standards to manage environmental risk. In the face of rising environmental concerns, DNV GL identified a need for a common approach to environmental practice that would help clients identify the major risk elements and how they can be addressed. DNV GL, is thus, proposing a JIP with the objective of establishing a “best environmental practice” (Recommended Practice, RP) for the industry. The standard would serve as the ultimate guide for operating companies in ensuring the best achievable environmental methods are being applied and the best solutions are being chosen, to meet the goal of reducing environmental footprint and reputation risk.

The proposal will receive internal funding from DNV GL to help launch the JIP. Tentatively the JIP will include the following topics: • Impact Assessment process and communication • Identification of health and environmentally hazardous substances and materials • Cleaning of process equipment, piping, tanks and vessels offshore • Environmental issues of preparatory and removal activities • Management and end-disposal of hazardous waste and other special waste fractions Graeme Lamont, DNV GL Focal point for decommissioning in the UK comments, “we always look to continuously improve technologies, methodologies and solutions related to the oil & gas and maritime sectors. If we combine our own development resources with those of the industry, we can achieve so much more”.

Other Joint Industry Initiatives Pipeline Life Extension JIP - The objective of this JIP is to share best practice on how to undertake the process effectively and requirements to support decisions to extend life.

Update to the Recommended Practice Marine Operations during Removal of Offshore Installations - DNV RP-H102 – As it was last updated in 2004 the technology in associated operations has moved on. It is expected that this update will be done in 2014 with O&G Joint Industry consultation. www.dnvgl.com

TRAINING COURSE 19 + 20 NOVEMBER, ABERDEEN | 28 + 29 JANUARY, NORWICH

From Planning through Execution Decom North Sea in partnership with Strategic Decommissioning Consultants Limited hold regular training courses focused on Offshore Decommissioning. The overall objective is to inform participants of the background, scope and cover some of the key issues associated within the decommissioning sector over a two day period.

For more information about our Training Course’s please visit our website www.decomnorthsea.com/events.cfm

36 Decom News: Issue 17

ADVERTISEMENT

It’s a lot simpler when one key fits all Multi-service vessels that get the job done A business unit of Helix Energy Solutions, Well Ops provides a wide range of subsea and well operations solutions; tree change out, wireline, coiled tubing and pumping through to end of life decommissioning services, with specialist vessels and innovative equipment. Well Ops assets include a number of purpose-built units along with mobile equipment for ease of mobilisation to remote locations.

• Rigless Well Intervention • Life Of Field – Well Construction To Abandonment • Tree Change Out • Wireline & Coiled Tubing • Well Stimulation, Pumping & Clean-Up • ROV & Saturation Diving Support

The Global Leader in Well Intervention www.helixesg.com

www.decomnorthsea.com 37

SPOTLIGHT ON NEW MEMBERS

GeoSea NV Helix Well Ops UK As part of the DEME group, GeoSea is a specialist in complex offshore marine engineering projects.

GeoSea offers a wide variety of services in the sectors of offshore Oil & Gas, Renewable Energy and Civil Engineering.

These services consist of the offshore constructions such as jetties, mooring facilities, bridges, the installation of offshore structures, offshore wind farms and platforms and geotechnical investigations.

GeoSea relies on its ability to provide innovative techniques and high operational reliability through high-tech equipment. GeoSea operates a fleet of eight jack-up vessels including the following three high specification DP class vessels (with plan for a new built in 2016) that are suitable for the Decommissioning market.

• ‘Innovation’ with 1500 tonne crane • ‘Neptune’ with 600 tonne crane • ‘Goliath’ with 400 tonne crane GeoSea offers first-class global offshore contracting solutions to clients. GeoSea has the skills, the technology, and the equipment to perform in the most challenging marine environment. Always working closely with the clients, GeoSea understands what it takes to define and deliver a project cost-effectively, safely, and on time. With this in mind, GeoSea firmly believes we can offer an integrated solution (Well P & A, Removal and Disposal) to the decommissioning sector in the Southern North Sea. GeoSea decided to join DNS because of its commitment in bringing the decommissioning sector together with collaborative initiatives. www.deme-group.com/geosea

Helix Well Ops UK (Well Ops) is a leading global provider of subsea well intervention and well decommissioning services.

A business unit of Helix Energy Solutions Group Inc., Aberdeen-based Well Ops provides energy industry clients across Europe and Africa with a range subsea and well operations solutions, using specialist vessels and innovative equipment.

Regionally it operates a fleet of three mono-hull well intervention vessels – MSV Seawell, Well Enhancer and Skandi Constructor. All are equipped to deliver a comprehensive range of subsea, well intervention and decommissioning solutions, and are complemented by saturation diving and ROV support services.

The firm will expand its fleet in late 2016 with the introduction of Q7000, a DP class 3 semisubmersible suitable for heavy intervention, work-over and well decommissioning in water depths of 3,000m.

In addition to providing extensive production enhancement, well maintenance and subsea services, Well Ops along with its sister company Canyon Offshore offers from its vessels a range of niche well abandonment and field decommissioning services.

These include: • Xmas Tree (XT) operations – well suspension operations on live wells, via wireline, setting production/annulus suspension plugs. Recovery of XT as part of the well’s decommissioning schedule.

• Well abandonment – perforating casing strings, removal of fluids in the annuli (such as OBM), setting bridge plugs on wireline/cement plug placement, cutting/punching production tubing, reading the well for full abandonment in accordance with the well’s abandonment methodology.

• Wellhead severance – perforating and/or cutting casing strings, by means of abrasive cutting or explosives. Recovery of wellhead as part of the well’s decommissioning schedule.

• Field decommissioning – utilising a Well Ops or Canyon Offshore vessel, the removal of subsea infrastructure including jumpers, flowlines (previously flushed via the Well Ops vessel), SCMs, manifolds and mattresses, utilising saturation diving and ROV support services. www.helixesg.com

Want to Raise Your Profile?

The Decom Website offers a range of opportunities for companies looking to get themselves noticed within the offshore decommissioning industry.

• Widely regarded as the hub for information, news and events about the offshore decommissioning industry and over 40,000 views every year • With a growth of over 35% in website traffic, there has never been a better time to advertise on the Decom website For more information on rates and availability email: advertising@decomnorthsea.com

38 Decom News: Issue 17

SPOTLIGHT ON NEW MEMBERS

Gardline Environmental Gardline Environmental are excited to contribute to the combined knowledge of Decom North Sea at a time where environmental services for North Sea oil and gas decommissioning are becoming increasingly important.

In order to ensure best environmental practice for cuttings management, OSPAR requires screening and monitoring of drill cuttings piles prior to decommissioning of oil and gas platforms. The composition, size and nature of each pile is unique and can vary greatly, with some piles up to 12m deep. Due to the composition of historical cuttings fluids (oil-based drilling muds), some of these piles can contain high levels of hydrocarbons and barium. As a consequence their removal or disturbance can have a detrimental effect on the surrounding environment.

As a leading marine environmental survey contractor, Gardline Environmental have built on our extensive experience of designing and conducting habitat assessments, environmental baseline and monitoring surveys to perform pre-and post decommissioning surveys for a number of high profile clients. We have considerable experience of sampling cuttings piles using a purpose-built ROV hand corer along with a range of other sampling tools to assess physical, chemical and biological composition both within the pile and for assessment of the area surrounding the pile. Gardline can provide a broad suite of analyses using accredited laboratory services and are proficient at handling potentially highly contaminated sediment offshore and onshore in a safe and efficient manner.

Gardline have successfully analysed North Sea drill cuttings piles for clients including Shell and BP, providing valuable insight for their environmental statements and drill cuttings management plans. www.gardlinemarinesciences.com

Glacier Energy Services Glacier Energy Services formed in 2011 as a result of a buyout of MB Oil & Gas from MB Aerospace.

At this time MB Oil & Gas comprised of two Business Units – Roberts Pipeline Machining and Wellclad.

In the years following, Glacier Energy expanded quickly over a short space of time and by early 2014 had acquired a further three Business Units as well strengthening their presence overseas by purchasing a new international operating base in Singapore. Glacier Energy Services now provides engineered solutions to the international Oil & Gas energy sector.

The Offshore Division offers clients niche, technical services relating to inspection, repair & maintenance of both existing infrastructure & new build projects. The Offshore Division is comprised of four Business Units – Roberts, Ross Offshore, Site Machining Services (SMS) and Professional Testing Services (PTS).

• Roberts designs and manufactures precision machinery and tools for pipe cutting, flange facing and pipe coat removal, all of which can be purchased outright or hired on flexible terms.

• Ross Offshore is a leading expert in the supply of heat exchanger services to the Oil, Gas and Power Generation sectors - with over thirty year’s heat exchanger experience in the oil and gas industry.

• Site Machining Services offers a wide range of machining services; performed by experienced technicians and utilising an extensive suite of equipment.

• For over thirty years PTS has provided a comprehensive inspection and non-destructive testing service to major clients involved in the fabrication and assembly of Offshore platform substructures and Topsides, Subsea components including pipelines and manifolds, Offshore monopiles, transition sections and substructures for the offshore renewable energy sector. www.glacier.co.uk

A New Breed of On-Site Supply Partner Mactech Europe was established in 1995 to sell and rent pipe cutting and bevelling equipment and is now recognised as being a world class specialist provider of portable precision pipe-severing and bevelling machines.

Mactechs portfolio of machines also includes a range of Diamond Wire Saw Cutters for subsea and topside cutting of a variety of materials and types of projects.

These saws are ideal for cutting multistring applications or heavy wall legs and cross members. Successfully tried and tested in the Gulf of Mexico following the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina these machines get the job done effectively, efficiently and quickly.

Typical uses include offshore decommissioning, and subsea or topside maintenance. Their compact and robust design creates an ideal cutting environment, reducing setup, installation, and removal time – saving our customers time and money.

In addition, Mactech Europe is also uniquely positioned to provide a wide range of additional On-Site Machining Services both in the UK and Internationally.

When utilising these services customers will receive the latest technologies in equipment supported by professional technicians who are experts in operation, repair and assembly of every tool. All this is backed by a fully stocked machine parts and spares department which means downtime is a rare event. www.mactecheurope.co.uk

www.decomnorthsea.com 39

SPOTLIGHT ON NEW MEMBERS

Operator Project Management

Tec hni ca l

Facility Running / Owner Costs

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Topsides Preparation

Topsides Removal

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40 Decom News: Issue 17

Most importantly successful execution requires a well thought out transparent plan to ensure that all work is carried out safely, and in a cost (and time) efficient manner.

As an independent and integrated energy consultancy, Xodus Group delivers a tailored service both onshore and offshore, covering all aspects of decommissioning from subsea facilities and wells, to jacket/supporting structures and topsides. We focus on our client’s needs and key drivers to deliver real value across all stages from the front end defining decommissioning strategies right through to due diligence and independent consultancy peer review work.

Our decommissioning expertise has delivered a range of solutions and services for key projects in the North Sea, such as the Tullow Thames Complex, BP Miller, CNR Murchison, Fairfield Dunlin, Marathon Brae, Shell Brent and Oil & Gas UK. The company’s top class team of industry leading consultants can deliver a range of work including technical feasibility studies, pipeline cleaning strategies, determining cost and schedule estimates, Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), supporting environmental studies towards decommissioning programmes, permits and consents, risk assessments and safety case updates. www.xodusgroup.com

& Wells

Van Heck’s speciality is often called upon to manage floods. Their expertise includes providing tailor-made solutions for dredging, civil and industrial projects and for government and water boards. Van Heck is also active in the offshore and maritime industries. Spearheads in these industries are: Equipment for ballast operations Van Heck’s ballast equipment is specifically designed for load-outs and float-overs, and ideally suited for salvage operations. The completely autonomous ballast and deballast system can be entirely controlled from a central point and has a total capacity of over 40,000 tons per hour.

Van Heck’s capabilities in this field: • Load-out: Supply a complete ballast system, including (ballast) engineering and operation, to load a construction from the shore onto a barge.

• Float-over/mating: Supply a complete ballast system, including engineering and operation, to install a platform on the offshore location.

• Jet trenching: Supply pumps to jet in cables on the ocean floor.

For less complicated operations a mini ballast and/or manually controlled system can be supplied.

Sea Trophy Van Heck has recently welcomed a new passenger on-board: The Sea Trophy; Green and Easy Oil Recovery. The first complete mobile pump system that enables the controlled, contained, fast (fuel-) oil recovery after incorrect or off-spec fuelling and in the event of grounding or calamity at sea. www.vanheckgroup.com

Dismantling and disposing of the approximate equivalent of 254 Eiffel Towers in the North Sea is an immense financial, technical and logistical undertaking. Decommissioning demands innovative thinking to bring together all project aspects, manage risk and meet regulatory requirements.

Pr oc

Van Heck is an internationally operating company with 50 years experience in the field of water control and management, with offices in the Netherlands and Singapore.

Integrated Offering Delivers Smart Economical Solutions

En

Moving Water Any Way You Want It

Sub-structure Removal

Topside / Sub-structure Onshore Recycling Subsea Infrastructure (pipelines, umbilicals, mattresses, SSIV) Site Remediation

S u b se a

& Pipeline

s

Xodus decommissioning capability map highlighting areas of expertise across industry standard decommissioning project activities

Monitoring

SPOTLIGHT ON NEW MEMBERS

Brown & May Marine Brown & May Marine has been providing fishing interface services and environmental consultancy to the offshore oil & gas, offshore renewables and subsea cable industries since 1980.

These include fishing intensity and interaction studies, Environmental and Socioeconomic Impact Assessments and compensation assessments, fisheries liaison services and procurement and management of guard vessels and post installation/decommissioning sea - bed rectification operations and marine ecological survey.

We maintain comprehensive databases of fisheries statistics, fishing fleet compositions and associated satellite tracking and surveillance data within EU waters and the Norwegian Sector and maintain longstanding productive relationships with local, national and international fishermen’s organisations and statutory bodies.

This allows us to undertake and produce robust, accurate, socioeconomic and risk assessments related to the decommissioning of oil and gas installations and associated infrastructure on commercial fisheries stakeholders as recommended under the relevant DECC guidance notes. In turn, this assists our clients to make informed decisions

regarding decommissioning strategies and satisfies both Regulators and Stakeholders at the consent application stage.

Recent work for oil and gas industry clients has included commercial fisheries socioeconomic impact and risk assessment for BP (Loyal/Schiehallion/Alligin/Foinaven/ Suilven and Clair areas), ConocoPhillips (Jasmine pipeline), Chevron North Sea Ltd (Rosebank and Cambro Development Areas), and CNR International (Ninian and Murchison decommissioning’s).

Since joining DNS, Brown & May Marine Ltd have been commissioned by BMT Cordah Ltd to undertake a socioeconomic assessment on commercial fishing activity relating to the decommissioning of gas installation infrastructure in the Southern North Sea. www.brownandmaymarine.com

New Members We are pleased to welcome the following new members: Bibby Offshore Gardline Environmental Ltd GEOSEA NV Glacier Energy Services Holdings Ltd Global Energy Group Helix Energy Solutions Maidmar Rigless Intervention Limited Port of Dundee Process Safety Solutions Ltd Solutions Store Van Heck XODUS Group

Pipetech Operations Limited

Full membership of Decom North Sea is open to any commercial organisation involved with decommissioning.

Associate membership is open to non-commercial organisations and individuals who wish to be kept informed of Decom North Sea activity and attend networking events and conferences.

For further information visit www.decomnorthsea.com

Pipetech is a specialist cleaning company that uses two innovative “cutting edge” high pressure water technologies to remove scale and debris from tubes, pipes and process equipment.

Established in Norway in 2001 and in the UK in March 2014, Pipetech can clean to either a bare metal finish or merely remove enough scale to improve the process flow. Our first UK-won work was awarded because of our ability to negotiate extremely tight bends configurations.

The ability to clean pipework through up to 15 bends and over extended distances from a single entry point means that set- up time and cost is greatly reduced. In addition a defined area only can be targeted making our Aqua Milling® system ideal for module separation.

The ability to operate our systems remotely means that no personnel are exposed to high

pressure water providing an extra level of safety unmatched by other similar systems, one of the key reasons for an impressive safety record of Zero Lost Time Injuries since company commencement. Pipetech technology gives fast results and uses only natural water as its cutting medium thus negating the need for environmentally harmful cleaning chemicals. www.pipetech.co.uk

www.decomnorthsea.com 41

UPCOMING EVENTS

Events Update Decom North Sea Annual General Meeting Fairmont Hotel, St Andrews, 7th October

Opportunity for Decom North Sea members to hear an update on Decom North Sea activities, raise any issues and vote new directors on to the board.

Offshore Decommissioning Conference 2014 Fairmont Hotel, St Andrews, 7th – 9th October

The annual Offshore Decommissioning Conference organised by Decom North Sea in partnership with Oil & Gas UK will be held at the Fairmont Hotel in St Andrews again this year.

More information can be found on page 13.

Oil & Gas UK, PILOT Share Fair AECC, Aberdeen, 5th November

Decom North Sea are exhibiting at this year’s PILOT Share Fair event and welcomes visits from potential or existing members to discuss opportunities in the offshore decommissioning market.

Southern North Sea Special Interest Group Meeting 26th November

Decom North Sea and East of England Energy Group (EEEGr) have formed a Special Interest Group focussed on the decommissioning opportunities in the Southern North Sea.

TRAINING COURSE

Lunch & Learn This series of events allow the supply chain companies to have the opportunity to give 15 – 20 mins presentations on their capabilities in offshore decommissioning to an audience of operators, major contractors and potential partners.

20th August

This event will include presentations from Aggreko, Baker Hughes and ENVIRON UK Ltd.

17th September

This event will include presentations from Sky Futures, Spartan Solutions & Weatherford + a new member spotlight presentation from Pastoor Offshore.

From Planning through Execution

12th November

Are you new to decommissioning? Do you want to learn more about the sector?

Could you benefit from having a broader understanding of what is involved in the whole lifecycle of a decommissioning project? Could you benefit from understanding lessons learned in past decommissioning projects? Would you like to discuss and debate how decommissioning can be undertaken more efficiently?

This event will include presentations from BISN Oil Tools, Fugro, Lucion Environmental and the Met Office.

Decom North Sea in partnership with Strategic Decommissioning Consultants Limited have created a training course focused on Offshore Decommissioning. The overall objective is to inform participants of the background, scope and cover some of the key issues associated within the decommissioning sector over a two day period.

Dates for your Diary: 19th & 20th of November, Aberdeen 28th & 29th of January, Norwich

If you are interested in booking, more information or would like to participate at one of these events, please visit our website www.decomnorthsea.com or contact Izzie Bryce on 01224 914044 or ibryce@decomnorthsea.com

42 Decom News: Issue 17

This event will include presentations from Babcock International Group, Maclay Murray and Spens LLP and Scotoil.

10th December

Get involved!

We are looking for supply chain members to present at our 2015 Lunch and Learn Series.

Please contact Izzie Bryce on 01224 914044 or ibryce@decomnorthsea.com for more information.

DECOM MEMBERS

Our Members Full membership of Decom North Sea is open to any commercial organisation involved with decommissioning. Associate membership is open to non-commercial organisations and individuals who wish to be kept informed of Decom North Sea activity and attend networking events and conferences. For further information, visit www.decomnorthsea.com AS AT 24TH JULY 2014 • ABANDONMENT & CUTTING ENERGY SERVICES LTD �ACES� • ABB CONSULTING • ABERDEEN HARBOUR BOARD • ABERDEENSHIRE COUNCIL • ACCENTURE • ACORN COACHING AND DEVELOPMENT LTD • ACUMEN ENERGY LTD • AF DECOM OFFSHORE AS • AGGREKO UK LTD • AKD ENGINEERING LTD • AKER SOLUTIONS • ALLSEAS GROUP S.A. • AMEC • ANATEC • ARCADIS �UK� LIMITED • ARGON ISOTANK LTD • ASCO UK LTD • AUBIN LTD • AUGEAN PLC • AXIS ENERGY PROJECTS LIMITED • AXIS WELL TECHNOLOGY • BABCOCK INTERNATIONAL GROUP • BAKER HUGHES • BAUER WATER • BIBBY OFFSHORE • BISN OIL TOOLS LTD • BMT CORDAH LTD • BOND DICKINSON LLP • BONN & MEES • BOSKALIS OFFSHORE • BP • BROWN AND MAY MARINE LIMITED • BURGES SALMON LLP • CAPE INDUSTRIAL SERVICES LIMITED • CARBON60 LIMITED • CASHMAN EQUIPMENT CORP. • CENTRICA ENERGY • CHEVRON NORTH SEA LIMITED • CLAXTON • CLYDEPORT OPERATIONS LTD • CNR INTERNATIONAL �UK� LTD • CONOCOPHILLIPS • COOPER LOMAZ RECRUITMENT • CORTEZ SUBSEA LTD • CROMARTY FIRTH PORT AUTHORITY • CSL • CURRIE & BROWN • CUTTING UNDERWATER TECHNOLOGIES LTD • CYBERHAWK INNOVATIONS • D3 CONSULTING • DANBOR SERVICES • D�COMMS �SCOTLAND� LIMITED • DECO� DIVING, ENGINEERING & CONSULTANCY OFFICE �• DECOMMISSIONING PROJECT SERVICES LTD • DNV GL � OIL & GAS • DUNDEE DECOMMISSIONING LIMITED • DUTTON INTERNATIONAL LIMITED • E.M.W CONSULTANCY LTD • ENERMECH • ENI HEWETT LIMITED • ENVIRON UK LTD • EPEUS GROUP LTD. • ERM • ETHOS ENVIRONMENTAL LTD • EXPRO NORTH SEA LTD • EY • FALCK NUTEC • FLOWLINE SPECIALIST LIMITED • FRASER OFFSHORE LIMITED • FRAZER � NASH CONSULTANCY • FUGRO SUBSEA SERVICES LTD • GARDLINE • GCG SHOTBLASTING SERVICES LTD • GENESIS GMBH • GEOSEA • GLACIER • GLOBAL ENERGY GROUP • GP DECOM LIMITED • GRC RECYCLING • GREAT YARMOUTH PORT COMPANY LTD T/AS EASTPORT UK • GULFSTREAM SERVICES INTERNATIONAL UK LTD • HALLIBURTON • HARDY AVARR LIMITED • HAWK ENVIRO LTD • HEEREMA MARINE CONTRACTORS • HELIX • HESS LTD • IHC ENGINEERING BUSINESS • IKM TESTING �UK� LTD • IMENCO • INCE & CO SERVICES LTD • INFIELD SYSTEMS LIMITED • INTERWELL UK • ITS TESTING SERVICES UK LTD � INTERTEK ABERDEEN � • IW�DECOM • JAMES FISHER OFFSHORE LIMITED • JEE LTD • JOHN LAWRIE �ABERDEEN� LTD • JUMPSTART LIMITED • JX NIPPON EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION �U.K.� LIMITED • KAEFER INTERNATIONAL OFFSHORE LTD • KCA DEUTAG DRILLING LTD • KDC • KISHORN PORT LIMITED • KONGSBERG MARITIME LTD • KOTUG OFFSHORE BV • L2 BUSINESS CONSULTING LIMITED • LBO � LINJEBYGG OFFSHORE • LEDINGHAM CHALMERS • LERWICK PORT AUTHORITY • LLOYD’S REGISTER EMEA • LUCION MARINE • MACAULAY SCIENTIFIC CONSULTING • MACLAY MURRAY & SPENS • MACTECH EUROPE LTD • MAERSK OIL UK LTD • MAIDMAR • MAMMOET SALVAGE BV • MARATHON OIL U.K. LLC. • MCDERMOTT INTERNATIONAL • MCLEOD AITKEN • MET OFFICE • MONTROSE PORT AUTHORITY • MSIS GROUP • MWAVES LTD • NALCO • NATAS HIGHLANDS LTD • NEOPOLIA • NETWORK INTERNATIONAL • NEXEN PETROLEUM U.K LIMITED • NORISOL • NORSEA GROUP �UK� LTD • N�SEA OFFSHORE • NUVIA SITA NORM LTD • OCEAN KINETICS LTD • OCEANEERING INTERNATIONAL • OFFSHORE DESIGN ENGINEERING LTD • OFFSHORE INSTALLATION SERVICES LTD �OIS� • OIL STATES BARROW • OILMAC.COM • O’KELLY BROTHERS DEMOLITION & ENVIRONMENTAL CONTRACTORS • OPTIMUS �ABERDEEN� LTD • PACTEC EPS LTD • PANDA ROSA METALS • PASTOOR OFFSHORE • PDL SOLUTIONS �EUROPE� LTD • PERENCO UK LTD • PETERHEAD DECOMMISSIONING LIMITED • PETERSON � UNITED KINGDOM � LIMITED • PETROFAC • PIPETECH • PORT OF DUNDEE • PORT OF FREDERIKSHAVN • PREMIER OIL PLC • PRIMA UNO PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING LTD • PROCESS SAFETY SOLUTIONS • PROJECT DEVELOPMENT INTERNATIONAL �PDI� LTD • PROJECT, TIME & COST INTERNATIONAL LTD • PROSERV • QUICKFLANGE UK LTD • R.U.M CONSULTANCY LTD • RED 7 MARINE OFFSHORE • RIGMAR SERVICES LIMITED • RLG • ROBERTSON METALS RECYCLING LIMITED • ROEMEX SPECIALITY OILFIELD CHEMICALS • ROMAR INTERNATIONAL LTD • RPS HSED • RVA GROUP • RWE DEA UK • SABRE SAFETY LTD • SCANMET A.S • SCHLUMBERGER � SMITH SERVICES • SCOPUS ENGINEERING LTD • SCOTOIL SERVICES LIMITED • SCOTTISH ENTERPRISE • SEAFOX CONTRACTORS BV • SEAJACKS UK LTD • SEAROUTE GROUP LTD • SEAWAY HEAVY LIFTING • SENERGY �GB� LTD • SFF SERVICES LIMITED • SHELL UK LIMITED • SHEPHERD O’BRIEN • SIMMONS & COMPANY INTERNATIONAL • SIMON STORAGE LTD • SKY FUTURES • SLR CONSULTING • SMRU LTD • SOLUTIONS • SP�1 • SPARTAN SOLUTIONS LTD • SPD LTD • SPEX SERVICES LTD • SQUIBB GROUP LTD • STANLEY HYDRAULIC TOOLS • STENA RECYCLING STAVANGER AS • STORK TECHNICAL SERVICES • STRATEGIC DECOMMISSIONING CONSULTANTS LIMITED • SUBSEA DEPLOYMENT SYSTEMS LTD • SUPERIOR � WILD WELL ENERGY SERVICES LTD • SURECLEAN LIMITED • SVITZER • SWIRE OILFIELD SERVICES LTD • TALISMAN ENERGY �UK� LIMITED • TAM INTERNATIONAL NORTH SEA • TETRA TECHNOLOGIES LTD • THOMAS MUIR �ROSYTH� LTD • TINNE CONSULTANTS LIMITED • TRAC OIL&GAS • TRACERCO LTD • TULLOW OIL PLC • TWMA • UKPS OFFSHORE • UNDERWATER CUTTING SOLUTIONS • UNIVERSAL PEGASUS INTERNATIONAL �UK� LTD • URS CORPORATION • VANHECK • VANGUARD VILLATEK LTD • VEOLIA ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES • VIKING SEATECH • WEATHERFORD • WEST OIL TOOLS WELL SERVICES LIMITED • WESTLORD ASSOCIATES UK • WICK HARBOUR AUTHORITY • WOOD GROUP PSN • WORLEY PARSONS • XODUS • X�SUBSEA

PARTNERS CAITHNESS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE • CARBON ENERGY CLUB • DANISH MARINE AND OFFSHORE GROUP • EAST OF ENGLAND ENERGY GROUP �EEEGR� • ENERGY NORTH • ENERGY COAST • IRO • NOF ENERGY • SCOTTISH RENEWABLES

www.decomnorthsea.com 43

Plug and abandonment.

No chemicals.

No explosives.

Just a clean-cut pipe below a permanent plug.

When your well reaches the end of its life, we work with you to close it—safely, reliably and cost-effectively. Our extensive plug and abandonment (P&A) portfolio includes the Mechanical Pipe Cutter™ that precisely cuts down-hole pipe without damaging tubulars. You save mobilization time, reduce your HSE risk, and get multiple clean cuts in one trip during your P&A operations.

Call us or visit BakerHughes.com/WellAbandonment to optimize your P&A pipe-cutting operations, remove logistical constraints, and mitigate environmental risks. +44 2070 483646 or +1 713-268-6218 © 2014 Baker Hughes Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. 41270 07/2014