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Collaborating Authors
Welcome to the peer-reviewed papers section of Oil and Gas Facilities. Before I introduce the papers for this issue, I would like to emphasize the importance of discussions of SPE papers. As you read a peer-reviewed paper, there may be elements that some of you disagree with or at least feel require further clarification or commentary. Please do not hesitate to forward these ideas and concerns to me--a discussion section is something that I would like to see become a reality during my second year as Executive Editor. As usual, there are four papers in this section.
Abstract Thailand's oil and gas industry has been successful in finding and recovering hydrocarbon reserves in the Gulf of Thailand since last three decades and have currently installed over 200 fixed offshore structures. Some of these installations are now reaching the end of their economic productive lives and will need to be decommissioned soon. There are complex issues in terms of legislation, environment, safety, costs, technical feasibility and public acceptability. This paper describes the issues relevant to decommissioning in Thailand and proposes appropriate decommissioning solutions developed over the past few years. The proposed decommissioning solutions are intended to support Thailand's oil and gas industry and its regulators in ensuring compliance with international decommissioning guidelines, balancing economics, safety, practicality and technical feasibility of operations with the environmental benefits and also satisfying needs of the key decommissioning stakeholders in Thailand so as to achieve conflict-free process of decommissioning. Technical aspects of offshore removal process primarily relates to the lifting of modules and sub-sea structural cutting methods. Lifting techniques range from conventional crane barges used in installation to specialized decommissioning vessels. Basically cost, technical feasibility and safety are major drivers in selection of appropriate lifting method. Sub-sea cutting include explosives and cold cutting techniques, for which cost and environment are the major decision making factors. Environmental aspects of decommissioning can be categorized into short term and long term. Short term environmental impacts are primarily related to the decommissioning methodology whereas the long term environmental impacts are related to the chosen disposal scenario i.e., final destination of each component of an offshore facility. Key recommendations regarding environmental solutions are in the form of Best Practicable Environmental Option (BPEO) framework, which helps determining balanced disposal scenario as well as suitable decommissioning methodology. Increased energy demands have currently resulted in rapid growth of number of offshore installations in the Gulf of Thailand. At the same time, the old disused installations need to be timely and appropriately decommissioned, which is not possible without having acceptable decommissioning solutions in hand. Such solutions need to be in compliance with applicable international decommissioning guidelines while adopting best practical environmental option hence assuring conflict-free decommissioning process. Therefore, development of such decommissioning solution are significant in assuring "RESPONSIBLE PERFORMANCE: TO DO THE BEST WE CAN" in order to help attain sustainable benefits for further development of Thailand's oil and gas industry. Introduction The Petroleum industry has brought enormous benefits to society. Petroleum reserves located under the seabed have resulted in the development of offshore structures (facilities) throughout the world. At the end of their economic production lives, these installations are required to be decommissioned to ensure safety of navigation and to protect the rights of other users of the sea. Offshore facilities decommissioning raises many complex issues in terms of environment, safety, technology and economics. The industry has tried to develop and implement decommissioning strategies such that these issues are balanced. After 1995 the issue of decommissioning received global media attention with the successful disruption of plans to decommission the Brent Spar in the North Sea. This indicates the level of public interest and concern for the environment. The issue of public acceptability is therefore considered as an important factor in preparing decommissioning strategies. Currently, Thailand's oil and gas industry must face this challenge as some of the offshore installations in the Gulf of Thailand are reaching the end of their economic production lives. Thailand oil and gas industry has been established for over 25 years and has been successful in finding and developing the natural resources that have helped the economic and social development of the Kingdom. Presently there are over two hundred fixed installations in the Gulf of Thailand and some of them are reaching the end of their economic production lives. The regulators are seriously taking up measures in order to develop guidelines that can ensure a balanced approach for decommissioning in terms of technical, environmental, legal and financial aspects of decommissioning. Thailand has previously encountered conflict situations in infrastructure projects and moreover, international disputes on decommissioning have emphasized the need of considering public opinion properly to avoid any conflict in decommissioning projects. Thailand industry regulators have a clear message to incorporate the public opinion into the decommissioning process. Therefore, efforts have been initiated for the development of decommissioning guidelines that can include the requirements of the stakeholders in order to avoid any subsequent conflicts in the oil and gas facilities decommissioning projects.
- Asia > Thailand (1.00)
- North America > United States > Texas (0.28)
- North America > United States > California (0.28)
- (4 more...)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Government > Regional Government > North America Government > United States Government (0.68)
- Government > Regional Government > Asia Government > Thailand Government (0.46)
Welcome to the peer-reviewed papers section of Oil and Gas Facilities. Before I introduce the four papers selected for this issue, I would like to address a different matter first. If you have read these introductions before, you will have noted that most of them include an invitation to submit papers for peer review. In most cases, these invitations are toward the end of the introduction and, therefore, may be considered only token gestures. Nothing could be farther from the truth--SPE would like to publish more peer-reviewed papers in all of its journals, and as the executive editor of this journal, I will do whatever I can to make it happen for Oil and Gas Facilities.
Abstract The Kinsale Head gas field offshore Ireland was discovered in 1971 and bought on stream in 1978. After 40 years of continuous gas production, a detailed plan for decommissioning of the field facilities is now being implemented. Kinsale Head and a number of satellite gas fields, all operated by PETRONAS subsidiary PSE Kinsale Energy Limited, are the only producing facilities in the North Celtic Sea Basin, off the south coast of Ireland. The facilities include two fixed platforms, 10 subsea wells and extensive subsea infrastructure including 150 km of subsea pipelines and 80 km of subsea umbilicals, as well as an onshore reception terminal. Careful and innovative field management has extended the producing life from an originally estimated 20 years to over 42 years at time of Cessation of Production forecast to occur in 2020. The paper describes some of the methods used to prolong field operating life. Planning for decommissioning commenced in 2015-2016 and the paper describes the engineering and regulatory planning process followed. As this is the first-offshore field to be decommissioned in Ireland, extensive and detailed engagement with the regulatory authorities was undertaken prior to the submission of the decommissioning plan in 2018. The paper demonstrates how a systematic and logical approach to both the regulatory approval process and the physical execution plan helps to de-risk the project. In particular, a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process was followed to underpin the selected strategy and to demonstrate a ‘best-in-class’ approach to the decommissioning program. As part of the EIA process, a number of analytical techniques were used including Net Environmental Benefits Analysis (NEBA) and Comparative Assessment (CA); this is believed to be the first time these techniques were used for offshore projects in Ireland.
- Government > Regional Government > North America Government > United States Government (1.00)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Europe > Ireland > Celtic Sea > North Celtic Sea Basin > Block 49/21 > Kinsale Field > Kinsale Head Field (0.99)
- Europe > Ireland > Celtic Sea > North Celtic Sea Basin > Block 49/16 > Kinsale Field > Kinsale Head Field (0.99)
- Europe > Ireland > Celtic Sea > North Celtic Sea Basin > Block 48/25 > Kinsale Field > Kinsale Head Field (0.99)
- (2 more...)
Welcome to the peer-reviewed papers section of Oil and Gas Facilities. One of the advantages of being an editor is that I am provided the opportunity to read many papers, some of which I may have ignored otherwise, simply because they do not necessarily deal with subjects in my areas of interest. However, as I read these papers, I am reminded time and time again that we are truly a society of engineers. The origin of the word "engineers" implies that we are people that use our intelligence to come up with new ideas to find solutions for the problems we encounter. Many of the papers I read, including those selected for this issue, illustrate that very well.