Many critical factors must be considered in determining the most feasible and appropriate options for decommissioning offshore oil and gas platforms, including alternatives from complete removal to partial removal with artificial reefing. Using financial-based cost/benefit analysis to evaluate decommissioning options neglects the complexities inherent in a successful platform decommissioning process, which includes non-monetary values such as the production of greenhouse gasses and the gains and/or losses of ecological services due to partial or complete removal. Multi-attribute decision analysis provides technically defensible consideration of both market and non-market values associated with the outcomes of rig decommissioning while allowing stakeholders to clearly and transparently investigate and evaluate the nexus between financial considerations and other factors (e.g., air/water quality, biological productivity, ocean access) that drive public policy. In California, the PLATFORM decision support model was a key component in helping a diverse group of stakeholders reach consensus on the preferred policy of partial removal and artificial reefing, which ultimately resulted in the creation of a public regulatory framework for rig decommissioning—the California Marine Resources Legacy Act. We describe how to use multi-variable decision analysis to facilitate offshore oil and gas platform decommissioning. We implemented decision analysis as a software tool (PLATFORM) to clarify and evaluate decommissioning alternatives against a comprehensive set of objectives, including both market and non-market values. Decommissioning options selected for in-depth analysis were complete platform removal and partial removal to 85 feet below the water line, with the remaining structure converted to an artificial reef. PLATFORM performed key analyses of the impacts of each option (e.g., on costs, fishery production, air emissions). The analysis found a near-consensus of stakeholders in support of partial removal and a "rigs-to-reefs" program. Decision support models, such as PLATFORM, are readily adaptable to support regulatory decision-making and alternatives analysis for decommissioning worldwide, including the North Sea, Australia, and Asia.
As companies around the world plan for the future decommissioning of oil and gas platforms, a case study from California provides a model in terms of both process and the use of decision support tools. The question of how to decommission California's 27 offshore oil platforms, like many issues related to offshore oil and gas in California, began as a major public controversy. We created a decision analysis software tool (PLATFORM) to clarify and evaluate decision strategies as part of a larger policy analysis conducted for the California Ocean Science Trust. The in-depth analysis focused on two main optionscomplete platform removal and partial removal to 85 feet below the water line, with the remaining structures to be converted in place as an artificial reef to preserve their biological value. PLATFORM was key in structuring and performing analyses of the impacts of each option (e.g., on costs, fishery production, air emissions) and greatly improved the team's productivity. Sensitivity analysis showed that different preferences, especially about the importance of strict compliance with lease agreements, is much more important in selecting the preferred option than is uncertainty about specific outcomes, such as decommissioning costs. The project's results affected the decision to pass legislation enabling an expanded California Љrigs-to-reefsЉ program, which includes a mechanism for sharing cost savings between operators and the State. The decision model presented here for the 2016 SPE International Conference and Exhibition on Health, Safety, Security, Environment and Social Responsibility can be adapted readily to other marine environments and could support regulatory decision making for decommissioning worldwide.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.