§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate she has made of the number of rigs and other major installations currently operating in the United Kingdom Continental Shelf which are likely to be retired within the next five years; what is the cost of the decommissioning; what extra cost will be entailed by a requirement that their top sides be dismantled onshore; and if she will make a statement on the United Kingdom's policy on these matters following the OSPAR meeting. [52344]
§ Mr. Battle[holding answer 27 July 1998]: The likely date for decommissioning each offshore installations on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) will depend on a number of considerations. However, current estimates indicate that up to fourteen fixed steel installations located on the UKCS could reach the end of their useful lives within the next five years. The cost of decommissioning these installations is likely to be up to £1 billion.
The future regime to be applied to the disposal of offshore installations at sea was agreed at the Oslo and Paris Commission (OSPAR) ministerial meeting on 23 July. Ministers agreed a ban on dumping installations at sea. The Government's part in this agreement demonstrates that we hold the environment at the core 560W of our decision making. All the small steel structures, all topsides, and the great majority of each and every large steel installation will be brought ashore.
Derogations from the ban are possible for the leaving in place of footings of installations which weigh more than 10,000 tonnes. Decisions about the footings of such installations will be made on a case-by-case basis following the internationally agreed rules for assessment and consultation. The presumption will be for removal wherever this is safe and practicable. Heavy concrete structures may also be left in place, if after assessment and consultation, it is agreed that land disposal is neither safe nor practicable.
For some time there has been a presumption that the topsides of all UKCS offshore installations would be removed. They will be re-used, dismantled for recycling or disposed of onshore.