End of an era in the North Sea
Eldon Ball - Houston
For those of us who remember the announcement of Ekofisk as the first oil discovery in the North Sea, watching the ongoing removal of the Ekofisk complex holds more than a touch of nostalgia. Phillips was the first to discover oil in the North Sea with its eighth well in an eight-well program. That came at a time when many prominent geologists still believed there were absolutely no hydrocarbons to be found in the North Sea. Ekofisk was a true breaktrough.
The final chapter of the Ekofisk I cessation program in Norway is about to begin following the award of a contract for the removal of nine platforms, with options, to Heerema Marine Contractors. Offshore removal operations are due to start next year and to be concluded by 2013. Onshore recycling and disposal, which Heerema has subcontracted to AF Decom, is scheduled to be completed by 2014.
Most of the platforms ceased operations in 1998, when the second phase of Ekofisk development came onstream, and the others prior to that date. The planning for this extensive decommissioning campaign began in the early 1990s, so by the time it has been completed, the whole operation will have taken about 20 years.
The full story of this North Sea milestone is captured in the report by Contributing Editor Nick Terdre, beginning on page 94.
Shell examines environmental needs for Alaskan arctic offshore
Development in the Alaskan arctic offshore requires meeting technical challenges as well as managing special environmental sensitivities related to cold regions with lots of biological diversity. The Beaufort and Chukchi seas are home to a variety of whales, seals, and other marine mammals that may be sensitive to the sounds of industrial activities.
Whales migrate into the area during the time of year when seismic operations are possible over the outer continental shelf (open, ice-free water usually the late summer and early fall). Bowhead whales, classified as endangered under US regulation, first migrate eastward in the late spring along the coast of the North Slope toward the Canadian Beaufort as leads in the ice pack develop. They return westward in the fall before the Beaufort is covered with ice. The short window of ice-free conditions means that offshore operations cannot simply be rescheduled to avoid the whales’ migrations, but must be evaluated in near real time so impacts are detected and mitigated when necessary.
Shell has extensive experience in the arctic, which contains an estimated 25% of the world’s remaining oil and gas resources. From Shell operations in Russia, Norway, Canada, and Alaska, the company has acquired substantial and growing experience in the technical, environmental, and social challenges unique to the arctic. That includes a long history in Alaska, where, beginning almost 50 years ago, Shell operated continuously until 1998.
Shell is now the largest leaseholder in the Alaska Beaufort Sea.
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Volume 68 Issue 9
September 2008
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