Decommissioning Insight 2017

UK Central North Sea • Operators forecast that 604 wells will be plugged and abandoned in this region to 2025. • This is similar to estimates in 2016, although shifts in the timing of some projects have increased the proportion of platform wells from 37 to 49 per cent (297). • Sixty-two wells are planned for P&A in 2017, with around 57 wells forecast per annum to 2020. • From 2021, around 75 wells will be plugged and abandoned each year as a new wave of projects begin activity.

Figure 2: Well P&A Forecast in the Central North Sea

120

Suspended Exploration and Appraisal Wells Subsea Development Wells Platform Wells

100

4

80

60

40 Number of Wells

20

0

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025

Source: Oil & Gas UK, Asset Stewardship Survey

Number of Wells

Proportion that are Platform Wells

Forecast Expenditure

604

49%

£4.2 billion

17