Shell U.K. Limited BRENT FIELD DECOMMISSIONING PROGRAMMES
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Shell U.K. Limited BRENT FIELD DECOMMISSIONING PROGRAMMES Submitted to the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Shell Report Number BDE-F-GEN-AA-5880-00015 February 2017 Consultation Draft Intentionally left blank BRENT FIELD DECOMMISSIONING PROGRAMMES Contents 1 Executive Summary ..................................................................................................... 15 2 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 37 3 Background Information ............................................................................................... 41 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 41 3.2 Development History ................................................................................................... 44 3.3 Environmental Setting .................................................................................................. 44 4 End of Field Life Management ....................................................................................... 46 4.1 Managing Declining Production .................................................................................... 46 4.2 Timing of Cessation of Production ................................................................................. 46 5 Facilities to be Decommissioned ..................................................................................... 48 5.1 Overview ................................................................................................................. 48 6 Inventory of Materials .................................................................................................. 50 6.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 50 6.2 Condition of Facilities after CoP .................................................................................... 50 7 Alternative Uses for Platforms and Facilities ....................................................................... 55 7.1 Screening Method ..................................................................................................... 55 7.2 Generic Opportunities for Re-use ................................................................................... 56 7.2.1 Re-use Options Examined for Brent Facilities ............................................................. 57 7.2.2 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 57 7.2.3 Other Oil and Gas Operations ............................................................................. 57 7.2.4 Carbon Capture and Storage ............................................................................... 57 7.2.5 Other Uses ........................................................................................................ 58 7.2.6 Artificial Reefs .................................................................................................... 58 7.3 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 58 8 Decommissioning Options and the Comparative Assessment Method ...................................... 59 8.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 59 8.2 Decommissioning the Topsides ..................................................................................... 60 8.3 Infeasible Options for Substructures ................................................................................ 60 8.4 Decommissioning Options ........................................................................................... 60 8.5 Method Used to Complete Comparative Assessments ....................................................... 62 8.5.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 62 8.5.2 Comparative Assessment Criteria ........................................................................... 62 8.5.3 Comparative Assessment Data .............................................................................. 64 8.6 Assessing the Performance of each Option ...................................................................... 67 8.7 Examining the Sensitivity of the CA-recommended Option .................................................. 67 8.8 Identifying the Recommended Option ............................................................................. 68 9 Method Used to Assess Environmental Impacts ................................................................... 70 9.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 70 9.2 Summary of Method Used to Assess Environmental Impacts ................................................ 70 9.3 Assessment of Impacts and Presentation of Results ............................................................. 71 9.4 Estimation of Energy Use and Gaseous Emissions ............................................................. 72 10 Stakeholder Engagement .............................................................................................. 73 10.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 73 Page | 3 BRENT FIELD DECOMMISSIONING PROGRAMMES 10.2 Identifying Stakeholders ............................................................................................... 73 10.3 Stakeholder Engagement ............................................................................................. 73 10.4 Stakeholder Dialogue Events ........................................................................................ 74 10.4.1 Organisation, Facilitation, Participation ................................................................... 74 10.4.2 Disseminating Information, Recording Views and Concerns ......................................... 74 10.4.3 The Brent Decommissioning Website ...................................................................... 74 10.4.4 Brent Newsletter ................................................................................................. 75 10.4.5 Conferences and Speeches .................................................................................. 75 10.5 Stakeholder Input to the Decision-making Process .............................................................. 75 10.6 Consultation with Statutory Consultees and Public Notification ............................................ 76 10.7 Publication and Advertisement of Decommissioning Programmes ......................................... 76 10.8 Work of the Cell Management Stakeholder Task Group .................................................... 76 10.9 Work of the Independent Review Group ......................................................................... 77 10.9.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 77 10.9.2 IRG Final Report ................................................................................................. 77 11 Decommissioning the Brent Field Wells ............................................................................ 81 11.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 81 11.2 Issues and Concerns Raised by Stakeholders ................................................................... 81 11.3 P&A Programme ........................................................................................................ 81 11.4 P&A Guidelines ......................................................................................................... 82 11.5 Brent Abandonment Philosophy ..................................................................................... 82 11.5.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 82 11.5.2 Current Philosophy .............................................................................................. 82 11.6 Procedure for Suspension and Decommissioning of Wells .................................................. 84 11.7 Submission of Permits, Consents and Notifications ............................................................ 85 11.8 Environmental Impacts of Well P&A ............................................................................... 86 11.8.1 Stakeholder Environmental Concerns ...................................................................... 86 11.8.2 Potentially Significant Impacts in ES ........................................................................ 86 11.8.3 Impacts from operations ....................................................................................... 86 11.8.4 Energy and Emissions .......................................................................................... 87 11.9 Status of the Well P&A Programme of Work .................................................................... 88 11.10 Mitigation Measures for the Wells P&A Programme of Work .............................................. 88 12 Decommissioning the Platform Topsides ............................................................................ 89 12.1