Shell is to start a 30-day public consultation on the decommissioning process of the Brent field in the North Sea, beginning mid-February.
 |
|
Brent field. From Shell. |
The decommissioning program will begin with the Brent Delta platform, one of four installations on the field, which sits about 186km east of the Shetland Islands in the northern North Sea.
Since production began at the field in 1976, Brent has produced approximately 4 billion boe, which amounts to 10% of UK North Sea oil and gas produced to date, generating more than US$30.0 billion (£20 billion) of tax revenue for the UK.
Shell submitted the decommissioning program for the platform, recommending that the 23,500-tonne topside of the platform be removed in one piece by the Pieter Schelte heavy-lift vessel, which arrived in Rotterdam for lifting equipment to be installed, in January. Shell says that work is underway to strengthen the topside of Brent Delta in anticipation of the lift, which will be one of the heaviest the North Sea has ever seen. This single lift technique will substantially reduce the risk, cost and environmental impact of the operation, says Shell.
Should the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) approve the decommissioning program, the topside will be taken to Able UK, a specialized decommissioning company in Teesside, where more than 97% of the material will be reused or recycled.
“The Brent field has been a prolific national asset for many years, creating and sustaining thousands of jobs and contributing billions of pounds to the UK government,” says Alistair Hope, Brent Shell decommissioning project director. “The engineering and planning skills which led to the discovery and subsequent successful production of oil and gas over four decades are essential during decommissioning, which is the natural next stage of the field’s life. We hope many people will play an active part in the consultation.”
According to Shell, a second decommissioning program for the remaining infrastructure in the Brent field, including Brent Delta’s legs, three other sets of topsides and legs, 140 wells and 28 pipelines, will be submitted when the company is confident the proposals are safe, technically achievable, environmentally sound and financially responsible. It will be subject to a separate consultation.
The Brent oil field
 |
|
Brent Bravo. From Shell. |
The Brent field, one of the largest in the North Sea, comprises four platforms: Brent Alpha, Brent Bravo, Brent Charlie and Brent Delta.
Brent Delta ceased production in 2011, followed by Brent Alpha and Bravo in November 2014. Production from the field continues through Brent Charlie.
The field was discovered in 1971 and began producing in 1976. At peak production in 1982, the field was producing more 500,000 b/d. In the 1990s, the life of the field was extended through redevelopment and depressurization, which meant that it could produce gas rather than oil.
Shell is the operator of Brent with 50% interest with partner Esso Exploration and Production UK Ltd. (50%).
Read more:
Subscribe
