§ Mr. David PorterTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on his plans for removal of gas and oil structures from the southern and northern sectors of the North sea in the next 50 years.
§ Mr. EggarOn the assumption that current practice continues over the period envisaged by my hon. Friend, the then Secretary of State will, pursuant to his powers under the Petroleum Act 1987, require an abandonment programme to be submitted to him in respect of each UKCS oil and/or gas installation as it approaches the end of its useful life.
Programmes will be considered on a case-by-case basis, in the light of the circumstances at the time and taking account of consultations with relevant interested parties, including environmental and fishing interests.
Our requirements will be consistent with the guidelines and standards for the abandonment of disused offshore installations and structures adopted by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in October 1989. These provide that the norm in water depths less than 75 m will be entire removal of all installations weighing less than 4,000 tonnes. After 1 January 1998 that requirement is extended to installations in up to 100 m of water. For installations standing in deeper water, partial removal is an option, subject to 55 m of clear water being left above any submerged remains.
32WApplication of the IMO guidelines and standards to the UKCS is likely to result in entire removal of all shallow water southern basin platforms. In the central North sea, the decision whether or not to permit partial removal to 55 m below the surface will be taken on the merits of each case. The same case-by-case approach will be applied to installations in the deeper waters further north, but in the interests of safety of navigation of the large submarines operating in that area a minimum clearance of 75 m above any remains will be required.