§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the present condition of the Piper Alpha former oil installation; to what height (a) above the seabed and (b) below the surface of the sea it has been cut; whether its present condition is in keeping with international law, as generally understood; whether it is marked on charts as a hazard to submarine navigation; whether it is equipped to give warning to submarines of its presence and whether responsibility for such warning lies with the operating company; with whom lies responsibility for its safety; and what representations the Government have received, and from whom, recommending the reinstatement of the seabed in the area to its original condition.
§ Viscount UllswaterThe remains of the Piper Alpha platform were toppledin situ, by explosive cutting, on 28th March 1989. The abandonment programme approved by the Secretary of State for Energy under the Petroleum Act, 1987 provided for a clearance of 75 metres between the sea surface at lowest astronomical tide and any remains. A survey undertaken since the toppling operation has established that a clearance of 86.27 metres has actually been achieved. The highest point of the remains of the installation is now 57.73 metres above the sea bed.
International law requires that any disused installation not entirely removed must not cause unjustifiable interference with users of waters 828WA above the continental shelf. On 19th October 1989 the Assembly of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) adopted, by Resolution A 672 (16), Guidelines and Standards for the Removal of Offshore Installations on the Continental Shelf and in the Exclusive Economic Zone. The abandonment programme for Piper Alpha meets, and in some respects (e.g. clearance above remains) exceeds, the minimum standards annexed to the IMO resolution.
The remains of the installation lie within a 500 metre radius safety zone which is marked on charts. There is no requirement in the IMO guidelines and standards or in our domestic law to equip such remains with submarine warning devices. Vessels are prohibited from entering or remaining in the safety zone except with the consent of the Secretary of State or in the exceptional circumstances specified in the Offshore Installations (Safety Zones) Regulations 1987 (SI 1987/1331).
Prior to the toppling of the installation, Dr. Norman A. Godman MP urged upon the Secretary of State for Energy the need to give the most careful consideration to requiring complete removal of all the remains of Piper Alpha from the sea bed. Representatives of the fishing industry have also pressed the case for entire removal of disused installations. In the case of Piper Alpha it was made clear that entire removal was unlikely to be practicable, given the character and size of the central debris pile and the remains to be toppled.
Before the Secretary of State for Energy decides what further work may be necessary under the abandonment programme, the fishing organisations and the Nature Conservancy Council will be consulted.