DOCSLIB.ORG

Ninian Northern Platform Late Life & Decommissioning

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Ninian Northern Platform Late Life & Decommissioning NINIAN NORTHERN PLATFORM LATE LIFE & DECOMMISSIONING PROJECT Report – Environmental Statement P0005-BMT-EN-REP-00006 February 2017 Ninian Northern Platform Late Life and Report - Environmental Decommissioning Project Statement Document prepared by BMT Cordah Limited on behalf of CNR International (UK) Limited Document Number: P0005-BMT-EN-REP-00006 Date: February 2017 Revision: B2 Page: 2 Ninian Northern Platform Late Life and Report - Environmental Decommissioning Project Statement Table of Contents ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ........................................................................................................ 10 GLOSSARY.............................................................................................................................................. 16 NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY ................................................................................................................. 19 Regulatory Context ............................................................................................................................... 19 Scope of the NNP Decommissioning Programme ................................................................................. 22 Decommissioning Studies ..................................................................................................................... 22 Recommended Decommissioning Options ........................................................................................... 22 Environmental Setting and Sensitivities ............................................................................................... 23 Key Environmental Concerns ................................................................................................................ 25 Energy Use and Atmospheric Emissions ............................................................................................... 25 Underwater Noise ................................................................................................................................. 25 Seabed Disturbance .............................................................................................................................. 26 Socioeconomic Impacts ........................................................................................................................ 26 Waste….… .............................................................................................................................................. 26 Accidental Events .................................................................................................................................. 27 Environmental Management ................................................................................................................ 27 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................................... 27 1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 28 1.1. Location of the Ninian Northern Platform ............................................................................ 28 1.2. Project Background and Purpose .......................................................................................... 28 1.3. Purpose of the Environmental Impact Assessment .............................................................. 30 1.4. Regulatory Context ................................................................................................................ 30 1.5. Report Structure .................................................................................................................... 32 1.6. Methodology ......................................................................................................................... 33 1.6.1. EIA Scoping Workshop ........................................................................................................... 33 1.6.2. Environmental Impact Assessment Process .......................................................................... 33 1.6.3. Scoping .................................................................................................................................. 35 1.6.4. Transboundary and Cumulative Impacts ............................................................................... 36 1.7. Comparative Assessment ...................................................................................................... 36 1.8. Supporting Studies ................................................................................................................ 37 2. PROJECT OVERVIEW .............................................................................................................. 38 Document Number: P0005-BMT-EN-REP-00006 Date: February 2017 Revision: B2 Page: 3 Ninian Northern Platform Late Life and Report - Environmental Decommissioning Project Statement 2.1 NNP Facilities and Materials to be Decommissioned ............................................................ 38 2.1.1 Topsides ................................................................................................................................. 39 2.1.2 Jacket.. ................................................................................................................................... 40 2.1.3 Platform Wells and Conductors ............................................................................................. 41 2.1.4 Drill Cuttings Pile ................................................................................................................... 41 2.2 Assessment of Alternative Use of the NNP ........................................................................... 43 2.3 Decommissioning Options ..................................................................................................... 44 2.4 Overview of the CA Process................................................................................................... 44 2.5 Preparatory Work .................................................................................................................. 47 2.5.1 Post CoP Preparation for NNP Decommissioning ................................................................. 47 2.5.2 Well P&A ................................................................................................................................ 47 2.5.3 Engineering Down, Cleaning and Topsides Preparation ....................................................... 48 2.5.4 Idle Phase .............................................................................................................................. 49 2.6 Options for Decommissioning the NNP ................................................................................. 49 2.6.1 Topsides Decommissioning Options ...................................................................................... 49 2.6.2 Jacket Decommissioning Options .......................................................................................... 51 2.6.3 Decommissioning Options Considered for the Cuttings Pile ................................................. 54 2.6.4 Onshore Dismantling and Disposal ........................................................................................ 54 2.6.5 Long-term Monitoring Requirements for Materials Left in the Sea ...................................... 56 2.7 Cumulative Impacts of Wider Field Decommissioning ......................................................... 57 2.8 Recommended Decommissioning Options for the NNP and Drill Cuttings Pile .................... 57 3. ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE .................................................................................................. 58 3.1. Location of the NNP............................................................................................................... 58 3.2. Environmental Surveys .......................................................................................................... 58 3.2.1. Ninian Pre-Decommissioning Environmental Survey ............................................................ 58 3.2.2. Acoustic and ROV Survey ....................................................................................................... 59 3.3. Physical and Chemical Environment...................................................................................... 61 3.3.1. Bathymetry ............................................................................................................................ 61 3.3.2. Currents ................................................................................................................................. 61 3.3.3. Meteorology .......................................................................................................................... 61 3.3.4 Sea Temperature and Salinity ............................................................................................... 63 3.3.5. Seabed Sediments ................................................................................................................. 63 3.4. Biological Environment .......................................................................................................... 75 Document Number: P0005-BMT-EN-REP-00006 Date: February 2017 Revision: B2 Page: 4 Ninian Northern Platform Late Life and Report - Environmental Decommissioning Project Statement 3.4.1. Plankton ................................................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Woodland Restoration in Scotland: Ecology, History, Culture, Economics, Politics and Change
    Journal of Environmental Management 90 (2009) 2857–2865 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Environmental Management journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jenvman Woodland restoration in Scotland: Ecology, history, culture, economics, politics and change Richard Hobbs School of Environmental Science, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia article info abstract Article history: In the latter half of the 20th century, native pine woodlands in Scotland were restricted to small remnant Received 15 January 2007 areas within which there was little regeneration. These woodlands are important from a conservation Received in revised form 26 October 2007 perspective and are habitat for numerous species of conservation concern. Recent developments have Accepted 30 October 2007 seen a large increase in interest in woodland restoration and a dramatic increase in regeneration and Available online 5 October 2008 woodland spread. The proximate factor enabling this regeneration is a reduction in grazing pressure from sheep and, particularly, deer. However, this has only been possible as a result of a complex interplay Keywords: between ecological, political and socio-economic factors. We are currently seeing the decline of land Scots Pine Pinus sylvestris management practices instituted 150–200 years ago, changes in land ownership patterns, cultural Woodland restoration revival, and changes in societal perceptions of the Scottish landscape. These all feed into the current Interdisciplinarity move to return large areas of the Scottish Highlands to tree cover. I emphasize the need to consider Grazing management restoration in a multidisciplinary framework which accounts not just for the ecology involved but also Land ownership the historical and cultural context.
    [Show full text]
  • The Nature Conservancy Research in Scotland
    The Nature Conservancy Research in Scotland • • a • • to • a • I • • I • • II • I I • á NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL The Nature Conservancy Research in Scotland Report for 1968-1970 Thel Nature Co nservancy Scottish Headquar ters 12 Hope Terrace Edinb urgh EH9 2AS 1970 á Cont ents Page STA FF LIST ( V) I NT ROD UCT ION 1 GROUSE RESEARCH GROUP I. Introduction . 6 2. Red gro use populations 7 3. Ptarmigan populations 10 4. Red grouse behaviour . 10 5. N utrition in red grouse and ptarmigan . 11 6. Viability and behaviour of young red grouse and ptarmigan . 15 7. Red gro use in Ireland . 16 8. Telem etry studies of red grouse . 17 9. The effect of rad io tra nsmitter s, carried by red grouse, on their biology . 18 10. Development and aggressive behaviour in the red grouse in ca ptivity . 19 1 l. The feeding ecology of red grouse in N .E. Scotland 20 12. Nutrition and behaviour of ca pt ive red grouse 21 13. M ountain hares . 22 14. M ovements and home range in the black grouse 22 15. Huma n impact on animal populations in the Ca irngorms 23 RA NG E ECOLOG Y RESEARCH GROU P I. Introd uction . 27 2. Conseq uence of species poverty in the uplands 28 3. Effects of herbivores on range vegetation types 30 4. Birch regenera tion in rela tion to Site chara cteristics 31 5. Effect of shade on the growth of birch . 32 6. G razing and the regeneration of shrubs and trees . 33 7.
    [Show full text]
  • The Scottish Marine Protected Area Project – Developing the Evidence Base for Impact Assessments and the Sustainability Appraisal Final Report
    Planning Scotland’s Seas The Scottish Marine Protected Area Project – Developing the Evidence Base for Impact Assessments and the Sustainability Appraisal Final Report Marine Scotland The Scottish Marine Protected Area Project – Developing the Evidence Base for Impact Assessments and the Sustainability Appraisal Final Report Date: July 2013 Project Ref: R/4136/1 Report No: R.2097 © ABP Marine Environmental Research Ltd Version Details of Change Date 1.0 Draft 29.04.2013 2.0 Draft 15.05.2013 3.0 Final 07.06.2013 4.0 Final 28.06.2013 5.0 Final 01.07.2013 6.0 Final 05.07.2013 Document Authorisation Signature Date Project Manager: S F Walmsley PP 05.07.2013 Quality Manager: C E Brown 05.07.2013 Project Director: S C Hull 05.07.2013 ABP Marine Environmental Research Ltd ABPmer is certified by: Quayside Suite, Medina Chambers, Town Quay, Southampton, Hampshire SO14 2AQ Tel: +44 (0) 23 8071 1840 Fax: +44 (0) 23 8071 1841 Web: www.abpmer.co.uk Email: [email protected] All images copyright ABPmer apart from front cover (wave, anemone, bird) and policy & management (rockpool) Andy Pearson www.oceansedgepzhotography.co.uk The Scottish Marine Protected Area Project – Developing the Evidence Base for Impact Assessments and the Sustainability Appraisal Summary Introduction The Marine (Scotland) Act and the UK Marine and Coastal Access Act contain provisions for the designation of a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Scottish territorial and offshore waters in order to protect marine biodiversity and geodiversity and contribute to a UK and international network of MPAs.
    [Show full text]
  • The Story of Abernethy National Nature Reserve
    Scotland’s National Nature Reserves For more information about Abernethy - Dell Woods National Nature Reserve please contact: East Highland Reserves Manager, Scottish Natural Heritage, Achantoul, Aviemore, Inverness-shire, PH22 1QD Tel: 01479 810477 Fax: 01479 811363 Email: [email protected] The Story of Abernethy- Dell Woods National Nature Reserve The Story of Abernethy - Dell Woods National Nature Reserve Foreword Abernethy National Nature Reserve (NNR) lies on the southern fringes of the village of Nethybridge, in the Cairngorms National Park. It covers most of Abernethy Forest, a remnant of an ancient Scots pine forest that once covered much of the Scottish Highlands and extends high into the Cairngorm Mountains. The pines we see here today are the descendants of the first pines to arrive in the area 8,800 years ago, after the last ice age. These forests are ideal habitat for a vast number of plant and animal species, some of which only live within Scotland and rely upon the Caledonian forests for their survival. The forest of Abernethy NNR is home to some of the most charismatic mammals and birds of Scotland including pine marten, red squirrel, capercaillie, osprey, Scottish crossbill and crested tit. It is also host to an array of flowers characteristic of native pinewoods, including twinflower, intermediate wintergreen and creeping lady’s tresses. Scotland’s NNRs are special places for nature, where many of the best examples of Scotland’s wildlife are protected. Whilst nature always comes first on NNRs, they also offer special opportunities for people to enjoy and find out about the richness of our natural heritage.
    [Show full text]
  • The Politics of Species and Spaces in Scottish Conservation
    Saving the wild, wilding the nation: the politics of species and spaces in Scottish conservation Shona McCombes Main supervisor: Magdalena Górska Support supervisor: Hadley Renkin Submitted to the Department of Gender Studies, Utrecht University August 15th 2018 1 Abstract: This thesis aims to understand discursive and material connections between wild nature and Scottish nationhood through an analysis of contemporary conservation. Drawing on theories of biopolitics, necropolitics and affect, I investigate four key case studies – the species conservation of pandas and wildcats, the culling of deer to protect native woodland, and the proposed reintroduction of the wolf – through readings of a wide range of media and literary texts. Focusing on the period before and after the 2014 independence referendum, I argue that wild nature is not simply constructed by or incorporated into Scottish nationalism, but is a site of contestation between different national identities and political positionalities, as well as a space of nonhuman agency where animal others are both active participants in and disruptors of conservation practices. I track conflicts, contradictions and tensions in conservation discourse and practice, excavating resonances and dissonances between the wild and the domestic, nature and the nation, the modern and the primitive, and examining the gendered, racialized, and class- based histories that inflect these dichotomies. In particular, I show how the Highlands as a space of (post)colonial “wildness” has been involved in competing nationalisms and claims for power, as well as conflicting ideas about what a healthy national nature should look like. I argue that the wild is mobilized in three different registers, often overlapping and intermingling: the wild as a modern project of progress, rationalism and independent nation-building; the wild as an expression of authentic heritage, purity, and continuity across time; and the wild as a disruptive, unpredictable, feral force for radical change.
    [Show full text]
  • Revised Environmental Report
    O UTER H EBRIDES L O CA L D EVE lo PMENT P L AN PR O P O SED P L AN E NVIR O NMENTA L R EP O RT 2 0 1 7 Comhairle nan Eilean Siar SEA ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT – COVER NOTE - PART 1 To: [email protected] SEA Gateway Scottish Executive Area 1 H (Bridge) Victoria Quay Edinburgh EH6 6QQ PART 2 An Environmental Report is attached for [name of PPS]: Outer Hebrides Local Development Plan (LDP) The Responsible Authority is: Comhairle nan Eilean Siar PART 3 Contact name Mairi A Maciver Job Title Development Plan Manager Development Plan and Marine Planning Team Contact address Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Stornoway Isle of Lewis HS1 2BW Contact tel no 0845 600 7090 [email protected] Contact email PART 4 Date 22 December 2016 Signature 1 CONTENTS Page 1. NON TECHNICAL SUMMARY Introduction and Purpose of Strategic Environmental Assessment 4 How to Comment on the Revised Environmental Report 4 Summary of SEA and Local Development Plan Stages 5 SEA Process 6 Likely Evolution of the Environment in the Absence of the LDP 6 Summary of the Likely Significant Effects of the LDP 7 2. REVISED ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT - INTRODUCTION Purpose of the Revised Environmental Report 8 Local Development Plan Key Facts 9 SEA Activities to Date 10 3. OUTER HEBRIDES LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND ITS CONTEXT Outline of the Plan 11 Objectives of the Plan 11 Relationship with other Plans, Programmes and Environmental Objectives 11 Relevant Aspects of Current State of the Environment 12 Environmental Baseline 13 Gaps in Baseline Information 22 Significant Environmental Issues 22 Likely Evolution of the Environment in the Absence of the LDP 26 4.
    [Show full text]
  • Mkwildcat Paper for Website
    Scottish Wildlife Trust Policy The Scottish wildcat ( Felis silvestris ) Scope of this policy 1. This policy (2011) sets out the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s position on the conservation of the Scottish wildcat. It outlines how the Scottish Wildlife Trust will contribute to the protection of the Scottish wildcat through advocacy work, practical conservation measures and delivery of overarching policies such as the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s vision 1 and Living Landscapes policy 2. 2. The policy should be read in conjunction with the appendices which contain a summary of Scottish wildcat ecology, conservation and research. Context 3. The Scottish wildcat ( Felis silvestris ) is the only native member of the cat family ( Felidae ) living in Britain today and is now found only in Scotland. By the mid-19 Century the wildcat had totally disappeared from both England and Wales; its eradication was mainly due to historical persecution and habitat loss (deforestation) (Beaumont et al. 2001). Another threat to the Scottish wildcat has been from interbreeding (hybridisation or genetic mixing) with the domestic cat which was introduced to Britain by the Romans over 2000 years ago (Kilshaw et al. 2010). 4. Scottish Natural Heritage’s 2006-2008 survey found wildcat ‘strongholds’ in Aberdeenshire, Caithness and Sutherland, the Ardnamurchan Peninsular and Morven; there were also recorded sitings and historical records for Perthshire, Cairngorms and the Central Highlands (Davis and Gray 2010; Dr. Mairi Cole pers. comm.). As it has been recently estimated that there may be as few as 400 ‘pure’ wildcats remaining in Scotland (Yamagushi et al. 2004 3) it is clear that the wildcat is vulnerable to extinction.
    [Show full text]
  • THE ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY of SCOTLAND Annual Review 2013 GREAT DAYS out for a GOOD CAUSE CONTENTS
    THE ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND Annual Review 2013 GREAT DAYS OUT FOR A GOOD CAUSE CONTENTS Our Oriental short-clawed otter, Elena has given birth to four litters, with the most recent in March 2013 2 PRESIDENT’S STATEMENT 3 CHAIR’S STATEMENT 4 CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S STATEMENT 6 OUR MEMBERS 7 COMMUNICATIONS 8 EDINBURGH ZOO 12 HIGHLAND WILDLIFE PARK 14 CONSERVATION 16 CONSERVATION SCIENCE 18 DISCOVERY AND LEARNING 19 FUNDRAISING AND SPONSORSHIP 20 FINANCIAL SUMMARY 21 ACCOUNTS 22 BOARD, HONORARY FELLOWS AND PATRONS 23 SOCIETY STRUCTURE 24 ANIMAL ADOPTION HONOUR ROLL 25 ABOUT US Image courtesy of Ivon Bartholomew II Annual Review 2013 • Contents Annual Review 2013 • Contents PRESIDENT’S STATEMENT CHAIR’S STATEMENT WHAT MAKES AN ORGANISATION GREAT? THERE ARE Achievement in 2013 was demonstrated in As ever, I am deeply grateful to all those THERE WERE A NUMBER OF TIMES IN 2013 WHEN MY It has resulted in us being the benefactors Highlights were not confined to the Zoo though, MANY ADJECTIVES AND PHRASES THAT ARE USED BUT many ways. Excellent visitor numbers led RZSS people – the volunteers, the staff, MIND TURNED TO THOMAS GILLESPIE, THE FOUNDER OF of an incredible organisation whose as visitor numbers to the ever-improving to a superb financial outcome; moreover, the management and the board. conservation reach can be felt both around Highland Wildlife Park reached another record. I SUGGEST THAT THERE ARE AT LEAST THREE WORDS I understand we had high levels of customer RZSS, AND I WISHED HE WERE STILL HERE SO I COULD the globe, where we are recognised as leaders Our two magnificent Amur tiger cubs, vital to THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO THE ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL satisfaction.
    [Show full text]
  • St Ninian's R.C. Primary School Newsletter
    Week beginning St Ninian‘s R.C. Primary 22 March 2010 School Newsletter Please note that this newsletter can be found on the website www.st-ninians.btik.co.uk Dear Parents and Guardians, Have you bought your Easter Eggs yet? I was told by a shop assistant just last week that they didn‘t have the kind of egg that I wanted in stock and that they wouldn‘t be getting any more in because already they were getting towards the end of their stock! This was said when there was still over three weeks to Easter! Therefore don‘t be disappointed, if there is a particular kind of egg that you like, whatever you do, get out there for your Easter eggs as soon as possible. Fundraising during Lent St. Ninian‘s, as with every Roman Catholic school, has an ethos that includes justice and peace throughout the world with a focus on service towards others. In a world where everyone seems to be concerned with their own needs; often with an ‗I‘m alright Jack‘ approach, it is always refreshing and heartening to see the care, love and consideration that the pupils of St. Ninian‘s have for those in our world who need their support. Lent is a time for growing in love. During this six week period of Lent, we prepare for Easter and the celebration of the risen Christ on Easter Sunday. Lent offers us the opportunity to reflect on how we can live better with others and is a time to ask for forgiveness for all our transgressions.
    [Show full text]
  • Applying an Ecosystem Approach in Scotland: a Framework for Action
    Applying an Ecosystem Approach in Scotland: a Framework for Action Introduction: Healthy ecosystems are the basis for sustaining people and biodiversity 1. An ecosystem is a dynamic complex of plant, animal and micro-organism communities and their non-living environment interacting as a functional unit. 2. Human well-being depends on healthy ecosystems. This is an idea that in past centuries, people who lived directly from the land and sea may have understood better. Now people feel more detached from nature but our actions have much greater impact. However people are beginning to realise that damaging the natural environment has consequences not just for nature but for human well-being, that humans are part of ecosystems. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment recently highlighted the effects that human activities have had on the world’s ecosystems 1, and on the public benefits that ecosystems provide 2. A recent international report ‘The economics of ecosystems and biodiversity’ 3 has said, ‘Ecosystems don’t depend on economies but economies depend on ecosystems’. Further information on the background and context to an ecosystem approach is set out in Annex 1. 3. The natural environment is one of Scotland’s greatest assets. For a country of its size, Scotland has a great diversity of landscapes, habitats and wildlife. Much of it is apparently thriving and in some areas past damage has been restored, such as previously polluted rivers in some cities or birds of prey, like the red kite. It is easy to think that damage to ecosystems is more of a problem in other parts of the world, such as where soil erosion leads to food shortage and hunger.
    [Show full text]
  • Stockholm Studies in Human Geography No. 24
    ACTA UNIVERSITATIS STOCKHOLMIENSIS Stockholm Studies in Human Geography No. 24 A place apart? Debating landscapes and identities in the Shetland Islands Charlotta Malm Abstract Based around the concepts of landscape and identity, this thesis examines several contemporary debates in the Shetland Islands with a view to finding out more about where people in this group of islands currently ‘are’ in terms of their geo- graphical and cultural location, from both a local and non-local perspective. Drawing on a multi-method approach, including textual analysis, participant observation and semi-structured interviews, the study points to the often complex and contentious relationship between power structures and notions of local versus national interests, particularly in the areas of landscape management and nature conservation. The image of Shetland is also discussed in some detail, revealing the im- portance of how this island group is perceived both outside the islands and among people living in Shetland. It becomes evident, in this context, that ideas associated with ‘northness’ and ‘remoteness’ can be understood as something quite problematic while, at the same time, such ideas can also be used as an asset with which to brand the islands to external markets. The study is set against a backdrop of devolved power structures, nation build- ing and the upcoming referendum on Scottish independence. From a broader perspective, the thesis ties in with a more general discourse in which local and place specific studies are gaining increasing importance in what is frequently referred to as a rapidly globalizing world. Key words: Shetland Islands, landscape, identity, devolution, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), place branding, land use planning, northness, island studies, cultural and geographical location This is a print on demand publication distributed by Stockholm University Library.
    [Show full text]
  • Statement of Compliance for Scottish Wildlife Trust Reserves
    IUCN protected area management categories Statement of Compliance for Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) wildlife reserves Introduction to Statements of Compliance Statements of Compliance are an innovation of the IUCN National Committee for the United Kingdom’s Putting Nature on the Map project. The project has developed guidance on the use of the IUCN definition of a protected area and the assignment of the associated management categories and governance types1. The guidance suggests that short but authoritative Statements of Compliance are produced for a conservation site or group of sites. For groups of sites designated for conservation under one overriding piece of legislation or public policy the statements should concentrate on whether the sites meets the IUCN definition of a protected area. For statutory designations the Statements of Compliance should review all relevant legislation, focussing on the priority given to nature conservation in the long-term. For sites not covered by legislation the statements should review the significance for nature conservation of all relevant public policy positions that specifically affect the area. In addition to reviewing legislation or policy in relation to the IUCN definition of a protected area, the Statement of Compliance can also assign sites to IUCN management category and governance type. In this case the statements should also provide an overview of current management objectives in particular in relation to prioritising nature conservation and summarize examples of current management practice that demonstrate the priority given to nature conservation and the ambition and vision for nature conservation in the future. Note: Statements of Compliance should be prepared with full reference to the 2008 Guidelines for Applying Protected Area Management Categories (see footnote for details) The Statement of Compliance below has been prepared for a group of sites some of which are defined in legislation and others in a non-statutory context.
    [Show full text]