Comparative Assessment of Decommissioning Applications of Typical North Sea and Gulf of Mexico Approaches to Several Categories of Offshore Platforms in the Middle East

摘要

BP has a large number of offshore facilities located worldwide where decommissioning issues will need to be addressed in the not too distant future. Experience in decommissioning offshore facilities resides mainly in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and, to a lesser extent, on the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS). Approximately 2,000 small structures have been removed within the GOM region (100 to 150 platforms per year over the last 15 years or so). Within the UKCS, around 20 platforms and subsea installations have been decommissioned. This paper compares the different approaches used in the two regions and discusses some of the ramifications of these differences.