Recent figures from the Oil & Gas UK Activity Survey indicate that decommissioning could cost around £40.6billion in the UKCS between now and 2040.
In a bid to exploit this potential, Decom North Sea (DNS), the offshore oil and gas decommissioning forum, hosted a lunch and learn event to give supply chain companies the opportunity to present their offshore decommissioning capabilities and encourage knowledge sharing among its members.
A new feature of the regular lunch and learn events is the spotlight on new member slot. This month, which was held at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel, Aberdeen, focused on LBO Linjebygg Offshore (LBO), a Norwegian contractor that uses specially developed methods and purpose-built equipment to offer customers solutions. The company specialises in a number of scenarios – including those at height, below deck or in the subsea splash zone of an offshore installation.
DNS chief executive Brian Nixon said: “I am delighted to welcome LBO as a new member at this month’s lunch and learn. North Sea waters surround a number of countries with most oil-industry activity coming from the UK and Norway. Norway is at an earlier stage of its decommissioning programme than the UK as its platforms are not as mature; its structures tend to be larger, with complex techniques such as horizontal drilling more commonplace.
“Though based in Aberdeen, DNS represents companies from across the North Sea active in offshore decommissioning and is seeing a growing number of members from Norway, The Netherlands and Denmark.”
The lunch and learn event also included presentations from three member companies, including Acorn Coaching & Development, who explained the challenges large-scale decommissioning projects present to the capabilities of multi-disciplinary, multi-agency leadership teams. They equipped attendees with a simple but powerful framework for focusing on the collaborative capability of leadership teams throughout a project lifecycle.
D3 Consulting explored whether it is possible to reuse and recycle 100% of a typical platform. By providing an overview of the materials and waste streams that can be expected from a typical North Sea platform and jacket, attendees learned how to handle and reuse or recycle each of these materials and wastes.
AKD Engineering Ltd also shared its strategic approach to providing engineering, manufacturing and offshore services, most recently for decommissioning of five platforms in the Inde field.
To continue its mission to encourage safe, efficient and cost-effective decommissioning activity across the North Sea, DNS is planning a learning journey to Norway in June, ongoing training courses across the UK and its annual Decom Offshore conference taking place on May 27.