16 / 74
DECOMMISSIONING INSIGHT REPORT
2016
16
Southern North Sea and Irish Sea
•
Nearly 400 wells are forecast for P&A in the southern North Sea and Irish Sea over the next decade, an increase
of 122 on last year’s report due to 17 new projects for which estimates are now available.
•
Sixteen of the new projects are platform removals with predominantly platform wells.
•
The proportion of platform wells has therefore increased to 80 per cent from 73 per cent in the 2015 report.
•
Twenty-one wells are forecast for P&A in 2016, with 40 fewer wells to be plugged and abandoned over 2016 and
2017 as some operators postpone decommissioning expenditure in the current climate to manage cash-flow.
•
Activity from new wells will be concentrated towards the end of the survey timeframe.
•
The peak year of activity has slipped from 67 wells in 2019 in last year's survey to 80 wells in 2020.
Figure 5: Number of Wells Forecast to be Plugged and Abandoned in the Southern North Sea and Irish Sea
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Number of Wells
Platform
Subsea Development
Suspended Subsea E&A Wells
Source: Oil & Gas UK
Increased Uncertainty
in Forecasts
Number of Wells 2016 to 2025
Proportion that are Platform Wells
396
80%