Oil & Gas UK Decommissioning Insight 2014

DECOMMISSIONING INSIGHT 2014

Topside Removal in the Southern North Sea and Irish Sea

Ninety-four per cent (94 modules) of topside modules forecast to be removed in these areas are in the SNS. While the pattern of activity is consistent with the forecast in the 2013 report, a number of projects have been included in the 2014 report for the first time, increasing the forecast significantly.

Activity is forecast to be largely stable across the decade at an average removal weight of 12,000 tonnes per year, peaking at five platforms and 17 NUIs in 2020.

Fifty per cent of the topsides to be removed are NUIs, with an average weight of around 900 tonnes. While heavy lift vessels can be used for removal, smaller barges are also capable of single lifts of this weight. Figure 13: Forecast Number of Topside Modules and Topside Weight to be Removed in the Southern North Sea and Irish Sea by Facility Type from 2014 to 2023

40,000

40

Increased Uncertainty in Forecasts

35,000

35

30,000

30

25,000

25

20,000

20

15,000

15

10,000 Tonnes to be Removed

10

Number of Topside Modules

5,000

5

0

0

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Platform

NUI

Integrated Platform

Unspecified (Two or More Categories Combined)

Source: Oil & Gas UK

Weight (tonnes) 2014 to 2023

Number 2014 to 2023

Total Expenditure 2014 to 2023

Topside removal

122,000

100 modules on 91 platforms

£450 million

Platform types Integrated platforms

12,400 36,300 60,000 13,300

Platforms

NUIs

Unspecified

28