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DECOMMISSIONING INSIGHT
2015
page 22
As seen in Figure 7, activity in the CNS is forecast to peak in 2021 and remain high thereafter. By contrast, activity
in the NNS/WofS regions is forecast to be higher in the near-term, dropping off towards the end of the timeframe.
The proportion of platform wells in the CNS is much lower than all the other regions of the UKCS.
Forecast expenditure, however, does not closely correlate with these levels of activity, but is influenced by the
type of wells. Years with a greater proportion of subsea wells typically have higher expenditure as these wells
are relatively more expensive to plug and abandon. Furthermore, the complexity of the wells to be plugged and
abandoned in a year can also influence expenditure.
Figure 7: Number of Wells Forecast to be Plugged and Abandoned by Type and Annual Expenditure
Central North Sea
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Forecast Expenditure (£ Million - 2015 Money)
Number of Wells
Platform Subsea Development
Subsea E&A
Total Well P&A Expenditure
Increased Uncertainty in Forecasts
Source: Oil & Gas UK