Decommissioning
Reduction in UK emissions by 2030 targeted by Viking CCS
Safely plugged and abandoned in the Southern North Sea in 2022
Removed and recycled from Southern North Sea activities over a 10 year programme
Harbour seeks to responsibly decommission retired oil and gas infrastructure where it is not possible to repurpose it for use in CCS projects. During 2022, Harbour's decommissioning team continued to deliver a strong safety and environmental performance.
In the Southern North Sea we plugged and abandoned seven wells, fewer than anticipated at the outset of the year due to the delayed return of the rig following an extended recertification process in the summer. 2022 also saw us successfully remove the Murdoch complex as well as four satellite platforms from the Lincolnshire Offshore Gas Gathering System (LOGGS). Harbour's Southern North Sea campaign for decommissioning legacy ConocoPhillips infrastructure is expected to complete in 2024. This will conclude a 10-year programme which will have seen 145 wells plugged and abandoned, 38 platforms removed and recycled and over 1,500 kilometres of pipeline flushed, cleaned and made safe.
In the UK Central North Sea, we removed subsea equipment in the Balmoral area in preparation for well plug and abandonment, while dismantlement of the Balmoral Floating Production Vessel is ongoing.
Following the changes to the EPL, announced in November 2022, we have re-phased certain decommissioning activities such that we now expect to spend c.$200-$250 million per year in the near term compared to c.$300 million per year previously.
See below for further details of some of our decommissioning programmes/activities:
The Caledonia Field is a subsea development located in UKCS Block 16/26, which was tied back to the Britannia platform. The field came on stream in 2003.
CMS Area - operator (working interest ranges from 39.0% to 59.5%)
The CMS area consists of the Murdoch, Caister, Boulton, CMS III, Kelvin, Katy and Munro fields. Decommissioning work is ongoing and platform removals will continue through to 2024.
- Environmental Assessment for the Caister Murdoch System
- Comparative Assessment for Pipelines and Mattresses in the Caister-Murdoch System
- Decommissioning Programme for Caister CM Pipelines, CDP1b
- Decommissioning Programmes for the Caister Murdoch System III Installations and Pipelines, CDP2
- Decommissioning Programmes for Murdoch Installations and Trunk Pipelines, CDP3
LOGGS Area - operator (working interest ranges from 20.0% to 61.1%)
The LOGGS area consists of the North Valiant, South Valiant, Vanguard, Vulcan, Vampire, Viscount, Saturn, Mimas, Tethys and Jupiter fields. The LOGGS complex is now in cold suspension. Decommissioning work to plug and abandon remaining wells will continue through to 2022, with removal of the remaining LOGGS area platforms continuing through to 2024.
- LOGGS Installation & North Valiant PD - LOGGS PR, LOGGS PC, LOGGS PP, LOGGS PA, North Valiant PD & Associated Pipelines Decommissioning Programmes
- LOGGS Area Decommissioning - LOGGS LDP2-5 Comparative Assessment Report
- LOGGS Area Decommissioning - Environmental Appraisal to the LOGGS LDP2-LDP5 Decommissioning Programmes
- LOGGS Satellites Jupiter Area: Ganymede ZD topsides only (LDP3b) Decommissioning Programme
- LOGGS Satellites Jupiter Area: Ganymede ZD Jacket, Europa EZ, Callisto ZM and NW Bell ZX & Associated Infield Pipelines (LDP3) Decommissioning Programmes
- LOGGS Satellites, LDP2: Mimas MN, Saturn ND & Tethys TN & Associated Infield Pipelines Decommissioning Programmes
- LOGGS Satellites V-Fields Area, LDP4: Vanguard QD, North Valiant SP, South Valiant TD and Vulcan RD & Associated Infield Pipelines Decommissioning Programmes
Viking Area – operator Viking/Vixen 50.0%; Victor 20.0%
The Viking area consists of the Viking, Vixen and Victor fields. Production from Viking ceased in 2016 and decommissioning is nearing completion. Platform removals began in 2019. The final two subsea wells are scheduled to be plugged and abandoned in 2021-2022.
Theddlethorpe Gas Terminal (TGT) - operator 50.0%
The TGT site in Lincolnshire was deemed hydrocarbon-free in December 2019 and is now in cold suspension. Demolition started in 2020 and is expected to take 18 months to complete. Land remediation and restoration will follow through to 2023.
MacCulloch - operator 40.0%
MacCulloch in Block 15/24 of the CNS ceased production in 2015. Removal of the remaining subsea infrastructure is due to take place between 2022 and 2024.
Huntington - operator 100.0%
First oil was achieved from Huntington in Block 22/14b of the CNS in April 2013. Cessation of production was originally planned for 2017, but production finally ceased in April 2020.
Huntington Decommissioning Programme for FPSO Float-off
Huntington Field Decommissioning Programme
Balmoral Area - operator (working interest ranges from 44.2% to 100.0%)
The Balmoral, Glamis, Stirling, Brenda and Nicol fields are in Blocks 16/21a, 16/21b and 16/21c of the UK CNS. The Balmoral area ceased production in October 2020.
Balmoral Decommissioning Programmes
Brenda Decommissioning Programmes
Nicol Decommissioning Programmes
Glamis Decommissioning Programmes
Stirling Decommissioning Programmes
Hunter and Rita - operator 79.0% and 76.0%
Cessation of production from Hunter and Rita was approved in January 2019. Hunter is in Block 44/23a of the SNS. The field was discovered in 1992 and developed in 2005. Rita in Blocks 44/21b and 44/21c was discovered in 1996 and developed in 2008 tied back to Hunter.
Johnston Field - operator (working interest 28.75%)
The Johnston Field is a subsea tieback to the Ravenspurn North Central Processing Platform, located in Blocks 43/26a and 43/27a in the southern North Sea. The field came on stream in 1994.