Anwerology :)

The decommissioning or removal of an offshore oil or gas rig requires contractors who have the right credentials. Decommissioning is part of the general area of disposing of hazardous waste, given that oil and gas are noxious and highly flammable substances. One of the problems for those companies looking to hire a contractor for decommissioning services is checking the credentials of that contractor.

It takes a lot of different people with a variety of skills to safely remove an offshore rig. From the time the contract is put out to tender to the final removal and safe storage of the rig remains can take two years or more. The level of expertise and the time involved in decommissioning means that the process is incredibly expensive. The problem, particularly when it comes to hazardous waste and the environment, is that big money projects tend to attract the cowboys.

Contractors can quote anything from $30 million to $200 million to decommission an offshore rig, depending on the size and type of platform and where it is situated. It is cheaper to decommission a platform where an oil rig is situated on the mainland but many oil and gas platforms are offshore and this involves more time and expertise and a much greater cost. Older rigs are sunk into the seabed and have to be dismantled in situ before they can be moved to the facility on the mainland.

Most decommissioning occurs because the field has run dry or because the platform is past its best and therefore dangerous. Some North Sea rigs have been functioning for 20 or 30 years and need replacing with new, more up to date facilities. Companies that contract out the decommissioning of an oil or gas rig need to check the contractor’s background and expertise with care. Most decommissioning teams are made up of seasoned engineers and other experts. It’s a good idea to question a contractor about the members of the team and their various levels of expertise before awarding a contract.

Decommissioning is a dangerous task and there are significant health and safety issues that need to be addressed. Once a rig has been cut up and taken down it has to be stored in a safe location on the mainland. A good many of the parts of a decommissioned rig are stored and saved to be used later in the construction of a new platform. No matter how well the parts of a rig are cleaned once they have been cut up, there is often residual hazardous waste involved.  A tried and tested team of experts will be familiar with what is required and careful to avoid future damage to the environment.