Preparing for Brent's End of Field Life (EoFL) is a huge undertaking. Brent continues to produce oil and gas, and will do so for some years to come. The date on which production will stop, known as Cessation of Production (CoP), has not been decided yet. However, experience tells us it is essential that we start to prepare as early as possible. In 2006, we started long-term planning for Cessation of Production, abandonment of the existing oil and gas wells, and decommissioning of the complete facilities. The decommissioning project will include four stages: - Identifying feasible decommissioning options.
- Selecting a final concept for the decommissioning project.
- Doing the detailed engineering to provide the required amount of detail and definition for the project so that we can ensure safety and manage any risks.
- Executing the project.
The potential for any re-use of the structures will form an important part of our feasibility studies. We will be taking account of the safety risks, engineering challenges, and societal and environmental impacts to find balanced solutions to the many challenges the decommissioning project will face. This will require thorough engagement with a broad cross-section of stakeholders over the next few years. As part of the overall planning process, we are working closely with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) on the process for Cessation of Production (CoP). We will comply with regulatory requirements at all stages. We remain committed to maintaining the integrity of the Brent assets and a safe working environment through to the final decommissioning of the platforms.
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