Decommis­sioning

Decommissioning is part of the normal life cycle of every oil and gas structure when a facility reaches the end of its life. A growing number of oil and gas platforms and facilities are ageing so decommissioning will increase over the next few decades. Every decommissioning is different and needs to be tailored to the facility design, the local context and the local legislative requirements. Some of our more complex decommissioning projects take place offshore.

In 2017, we started preparing to decommission the Tapti field, a former BG project in India. We jointly operate the project (Shell interest 30%) with the Indian National Oil Company, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation and Reliance Industries Limited. Production stopped in March 2016 and work is under way to plug 38 wells and close down five platforms and four pipelines. In India more broadly, we contribute to government-led work on the development of regulations and guidelines for decommissioning projects.

In the Gulf of Mexico, we decommissioned the Cougar platform, which has produced more than 31 million barrels of oil over the last two decades. In 2017, we used a specially-designed vessel to lift the top part of the platform and deck, then place it on a barge to be transported to shore for cleaning and recycling or disposal. The same vessel was used to move the platform's 105 metre-tall and 3,000-tonne support structure across about 80 kilometres of open water to its resting place as an artificial reef. We donated the structure to the Louisiana artificial reef programme and made a $619,000 contribution to help maintain and monitor the reef. It will provide a habitat for a variety of marine life, including red snapper and amberjack fish.