Environment Report 2015

The objectives and main areas of work of the two technical groups that support the Oil Spill Response Forum are described below: • Oil Spill Response Technical Group – this was established to facilitate the development and maintenance of an effective, robust and sustainable oil spill response capability for upstream operations on the UKCS. This year, the group has focused on developing an oil spill response toolkit and the monitoring capability assessment. • Environment Sensitivities Technical Group – this group explores environmental sensitivities associated with oil spills on the UKCS. In 2015, it has focused on the seabirds OSI and coastal sensitivity mapping of the Scottish coastline. Decommissioning Forum and Decommissioning Sub-Committee The Decommissioning Forum was launched in 2012 to provide an opportunity for members to engage with Oil & Gas UK on decommissioning issues. The group looks at regulatory, operational implementation issues, the decommissioning market and stakeholder engagement. The Decommissioning Sub-Committee was established on 31 March 2014. The main objectives are to provide strategic direction and oversight of Oil & Gas UK’s decommissioning activities. This year, the sub-committee has focused on developing a decommissioning strategy and working with the Oil and Gas Authority to establish a single decommissioning forum as envisaged in the Wood Review 55 . The objectives of the sub-committee are to: • Provide the forum for facilitating communication and collaboration with regulators and across the stakeholder community to develop a common understanding of the process of decommissioning and how it can be optimised, based off a single integrated Decommissioning Strategy for the UK industry. • Work with industry and regulators on the timing of decommissioning key assets such that economic recovery from the North Sea is maximised. • Promote fit-for-purpose decommissioning scope to be based on a robust evidence-base that achieves the optimum balance of safety, environmental, social and economic impact, as well as technical feasibility. • Seek to promote efficient and effective execution within a competitive market by encouraging challenge and innovation. Recognising efficient execution requires operators, the supply chain and regulators to work together and is achieved at the lowest cost by integration of late life operations and decommissioning. • Work with and promote the UK supply chain to ensure that they are positioned to be the delivery provider for safe, cost-efficient decommissioning programmes at home and abroad.

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55 The Wood Report is available to download at www.gov.uk/government/groups/wood-review-implementation-team

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