Delivered by the National Decommissioning Centre , this ECITB-approved CPD course is suitable for those wishing to gain a greater understanding of the issues and activities associated with offshore decommissioning, including oil and gas industry professionals (technical and non-technical), engineers, managers, finance and procurement personnel, as well as those working in related industries or regulatory bodies.
Delegates will gain an overview of the health, safety, environmental and legal considerations associated with offshore decommissioning and examine the principles of managing an offshore decommissioning project. Find out more here.
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About
UK oil and gas decommissioning involves the safe dismantling and disposal of infrastructure used in oil and gas production as these facilities reach the end of their operational life. Decommissioning activities include:
- Plugging Wells - Permanently sealing wells to prevent leaks.
- Removing Platforms - Dismantling offshore platforms and bringing them to shore for recycling or disposal.
- Subsea Infrastructure - Recovering or burying subsea pipelines, cables, and other equipment.
- Site Remediation - Cleaning and restoring the seabed and surrounding areas to their natural state.
- Waste Management - Handling and disposing of hazardous and non-hazardous materials generated during decommissioning.
- Regulatory Compliance - Ensuring all activities meet UK regulatory standards and environmental guidelines.
The process is complex, expensive, and time-consuming, requiring coordination among various stakeholders, including government agencies, operators, and environmental groups. The UK is considered a global leader in decommissioning expertise, with significant focus on minimizing environmental impact and promoting sustainability through recycling and reusing materials where possible.
The future of UK oil and gas decommissioning is set to be a major focus as the country transitions towards net-zero emissions and cleaner energy sources. The North Sea, one of the world's oldest offshore oil and gas regions, will see an increasing number of platforms, pipelines, and wells decommissioned in the coming decades.
Key points about the future of UK oil and gas decommissioning include:
- Scale of the Task - Over 1,000 platforms, 5,000 wells, and 10,000 kilometers of pipelines will need to be safely dismantled and removed. This is a complex, costly, and lengthy process, estimated to take several decades and cost tens of billions of pounds.
- Economic and Environmental Impact - The decommissioning process presents significant economic opportunities, including job creation and the development of new technologies. However, it also carries environmental risks, such as potential pollution if not managed correctly.
- Regulatory and Policy Framework - The UK government, along with industry bodies like the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA), is developing stringent regulations to ensure decommissioning is done safely, sustainably, and in line with environmental goals. The regulatory framework will evolve to balance industry needs with environmental protection.
- Innovation and Technology - Advancements in technology and increased efficiency will be critical to reducing the cost and environmental impact of decommissioning. Robotics, AI, and new materials are expected to play a significant role in making the process safer and more cost-effective
- Circular Economy and Reuse - There is a growing emphasis on reusing and recycling materials from decommissioned infrastructure. Some platforms may also be repurposed for renewable energy projects like offshore wind or carbon capture and storage (CCS).
- Global Leadership - The UK aims to position itself as a global leader in decommissioning expertise, potentially exporting knowledge and services to other countries facing similar challenges.
Overall, UK oil and gas decommissioning represents both a challenge and an opportunity, as the country navigates the shift towards a low-carbon economy while ensuring the safe and effective dismantling of its oil and gas legacy.
Case Study
See details of the course on our Case Study.
Ways to learn
Topics and Team
- Brief overview
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Course Objectives:
- Understand the context of offshore decommissioning.
- State the health, safety and environmental and legal considerations
- associated with offshore decommissioning.
- Identify the ongoing liability obligations post-decommissioning.
- Identify improvements in the decommissioning process.
- State the environmental considerations of Offshore Decommissioning.
- Explain the economic context of offshore decommissioning.
- Examine the methods and considerations for cost planning of decommissioning activities.
- Characterise the requirements for decommissioning an asset offshore.
- Recognise the requirements for the onshore dismantling of decommissioned assets.
- Context setting
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Understand the Context of offshore decommissioning
This topic was developed and delivered by:
Prof. Richard Neilson
Director of the National Decommissioning Centrejoined the University of Aberdeen in 1988 as a Lecturer in Engineering before becoming a reader, senior lecturer and professor. He's taught manufacturing, design and dynamics at undergraduate level since 1988. Most recently teaching mechanical engineering design at Level 3 and supervised group design projects on the decommissioning of pipelines at Level 5. Richard co-developed the world's first MSc in Decommissioning, and is now directly involved in the development and delivery of the Process Shutdown, Structural Decommissioning and Disposal course and was responsible solely for the development and supervision of the Group project in Comparative Assessment. His research has been focussed recently on subsea topics and decommissioning. He has run two JIPs with industry on underwater cutting for decommissioning and recently completed a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with a local company on underwater lifting for installation and decommissioning.
- Requirements for decommissioning an asset offshore
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Characterise the requirements for decommissioning an asset offshore. This topic was developed and delivered by:
Prof. Richard Neilson
Director of the National Decommissioning Centrejoined the University of Aberdeen in 1988 as a Lecturer in Engineering before becoming a reader, senior lecturer and professor. He's taught manufacturing, design and dynamics at undergraduate level since 1988. Most recently teaching mechanical engineering design at Level 3 and supervised group design projects on the decommissioning of pipelines at Level 5. Richard co-developed the world's first MSc in Decommissioning, and is now directly involved in the development and delivery of the Process Shutdown, Structural Decommissioning and Disposal course and was responsible solely for the development and supervision of the Group project in Comparative Assessment. His research has been focussed recently on subsea topics and decommissioning. He has run two JIPs with industry on underwater cutting for decommissioning and recently completed a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with a local company on underwater lifting for installation and decommissioning.
- Legal requirements
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Summarise the Legal requirements, acts, guidelines, conventions and bodies that govern offshore decommissioning activity
This topic was developed and delivered by:
Professor John Paterson
Professor of Lawtrained as a solicitor in the Office of the Solicitor to the Secretary of State for Scotland before pursuing an academic career. After studying at the EUI, Italy, he was a Research Assistant at the Centre de Philosophie du Droit, Belgium, where he worked principally on the Governance Project with the Forward Studies Unit of the European Commission. He was Senior Lecturer and then Reader at the University of Westminster when he joined the University of Aberdeen as a Reader before becoming appointed Professor of Law in August 2011. He has previously been co-director of the Centre for Energy Law, Acting Head of the School of Law and University Vice-Principal for Internationalisation. He co-ordinates Aberdeen's involvement in the North Sea Energy Law Programme. His research has covered systems theory, the regulation of risk, governance in the EU, corporate governance and energy law.
- Ongoing liability obligations
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Identify the ongoing liability obligations and implications post-decommissioning,
and Improvements in the decommissioning processThis topic was developed and delivered by:
Professor John Paterson
Professor of Lawtrained as a solicitor in the Office of the Solicitor to the Secretary of State for Scotland before pursuing an academic career. After studying at the EUI, Italy, he was a Research Assistant at the Centre de Philosophie du Droit, Belgium, where he worked principally on the Governance Project with the Forward Studies Unit of the European Commission. He was Senior Lecturer and then Reader at the University of Westminster when he joined the University of Aberdeen as a Reader before becoming appointed Professor of Law in August 2011. He has previously been co-director of the Centre for Energy Law, Acting Head of the School of Law and University Vice-Principal for Internationalisation. He co-ordinates Aberdeen's involvement in the North Sea Energy Law Programme. His research has covered systems theory, the regulation of risk, governance in the EU, corporate governance and energy law.
- Economic considerations
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Explain the economic context of offshore decommissioning, and the methods and considerations for cost planning of decommissioning activities
This topic was developed and delivered by:
Director of Aberdeen Centre for Research in Energy Economics and FinanceProfessor Alexander G. Kemp is a Professor of Petroleum Economics and Director of Aberdeen Centre for Research in Energy Economics and Finance (ACREEF) at the University of Aberdeen. For many years he has specialised in his research in petroleum economics with special reference to licensing and taxation issues and has published over 200 papers and books in this field including several papers on the economics of decommissioning.
- Environmental considerations
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Summarise the environmental considerations associated with Offshore Decommissioning
This topic was developed and delivered by:
Professor Astley Hastings is a chartered mechanical engineer and environmental scientist with extensive experience of the Oil and Gas exploration and production industry, having worked for Schlumberger for 33 years engaged in well logging, completions, testing well construction and abandonment, seismic operations and reservoir characterization. Since 2004 he has been conducting research into the environmental impact or anthropogenic activities on the atmosphere, marine and terrestrial environment has published over 89 peer reviewed papers with an H index of 26 with over 2,800, citations.
- Onshore dismantling of decommissioned assets
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Recognise the requirements for the onshore dismantling of decommissioned assets
This topic was developed and delivered by:
Dr Alfonso Martinez-Felipe - Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering
Dr Alfonso Martinez-Felipe has led and participated in several research projects in the chemical engineering area, contribution as WP leader at the Data For Net Zero (D4NZ) project. He has published more than 55 peer-reviewed papers with around 1850 citations and an h-index of 26. His work stems on the design, synthesis, and characterisation of new organic materials with tuneable nanostructures that can improve the efficiency of energy harvesting, conversion, and storage devices. Alfonso coordinator for the MSc programmes in Decommissioning and Energy Transition Systems & Technologies that organise invited talks and project settlements in companies of the sector. He teaches at the Process Shutdown, Structural Decommissioning and Disposal course. In 2022 he joined the board of directors of the Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group.