North Sea operators warned to step up rig decommissioning

Now the regulator has begun investigations into alleged failures to complete timely plugging and abandonment in line with approved plans.

Operators are legally required to leave the marine environment clean and safe when they stop producing, and must decommission their platforms, pipelines and wells – a complex and expensive process which requires thorough preparation and planning.

Taking too long, or deferring work, adds to the cost and can mean that platforms continue to use power and release emissions even though they are no longer producing oil and gas.

The removal of spent structures from the North Sea is expensive for the oil and gas industry, but was seen as an opportunity for a growing sector.

Operators expect to spend about £24bn on decommissioning between 2023 and 2032, up £3bn on the forecast for the same period in last year’s report.

Hundreds of wells will need to be decommissioned every year as more oil and gas fields shut down.

However, operators only achieved 70% of planned well decommissioning activities last year.