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Figure 13: Forecast Length of Pipelines for ‘Making Safe’ in the Southern North Sea and Irish Sea
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Kilometres of Pipeline
Source: Oil & Gas UK
Increased Uncertainty
in Forecasts
Pipeline 'Making Safe' 2016 to 2025 (Kilometres)
2,885
Norwegian Continental Shelf
•
Operators forecast that 108 topside modules on 13 platforms and 2 FPSOs will be ‘made safe’ in preparation for
removal over the next ten years.
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Topside preparation is slightly higher with a forecast of 111 topside modules on 14 platforms and 2 FPSOs, as
‘making safe’ work has already been carried out on one platform.
•
The bulk of work is planned between 2019 and 2023, peaking at over 40 topside modules in 2023.
•
Just over 350 kilometres of pipeline are forecast for ‘making safe’ on the Norwegian Continental Shelf over the
next decade. All of this activity is in the Norwegian North Sea.
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Activity will vary significantly year-on-year, peaking at 120 kilometres in 2020.
•
Forecast pipeline ‘making safe’ activity in the Norwegian North Sea region of the Norwegian Continental Shelf
has increased since estimates made last year as ten new projects are captured.
•
The bulk of the pipeline decommissioning activity associated with these projects however lies outside the
survey timeframe.
•
In contrast to the 2015 report, no pipeline decommissioning activity is forecast in the Norwegian Sea due to the
deferral of a subsea project.