An Assessment of Techniques for Removing Offshore Structures

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AN ASSESSMENT OF TECHNIQUES FOR REMOVING OFFSHORE STRUCTURES

FIGURE 1-11 Mud-slide-type platform. Source: Courtesy of Chevron U.S.A., Inc.

application to the NMFS for final approval; (2) if explosive removal is planned and the structure is in open waters, the Corps informs the NMFS and asks if NMFS observers will witness the platform removal. The NMFS then decides whether to implement the observer program and informs the Corps, which in turn notifies the operator.

If the platform is to be left on the lease site, the operator must obtain from the MMS a waiver from the lease abandonment regulations, including site clearance requirements.

International Laws

International laws relevant to the removal of offshore structures include the Convention on the Continental Shelf and the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, which require that abandoned or unused installations be removed. International Maritime Organization guidelines also call for the removal of abandoned offshore structures. There is no definition of the depth of removal, except that the structure should be “entirely removed” and not interfere with navigation. Exceptions are granted to coastal nations for reusing structures if they deem it beneficial.

REFERENCES

MMS (Minerals Management Service), Offshore Data Services. 1994. Gulf of Mexico Platforms Installed–1947 to Present. New Orleans: U.S. Department of the Interior.

MMS, Offshore Data Services. 1995. Gulf of Mexico Field Development Report 9:1 (January 30). New Orleans: U.S. Department of the Interior.

NRC (National Research Council). 1985. Disposal of Offshore Platforms. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.

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