Shaping the offshore decommissioning agenda and next generation design of offshore infrastructure

Gourvenec, Susan (2018) Shaping the offshore decommissioning agenda and next generation design of offshore infrastructure. Smart Infrastructure and Construction, 172. (doi:10.1680/jsmic.18.00002).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Many thousands of structures have been installed in the world’s oceans to service the offshore hydrocarbon and renewable energy industries to provide energy resources to populations across the globe. Much of this infrastructure, particularly for hydrocarbon developments, has reached or is approaching the end of field life and requires decommissioning. Recent and future field developments, both for hydrocarbons and renewable energy, are setting up future waves of decommissioning activity.
This paper presents recent developments in, and outlines reshaping of, the offshore decommissioning agenda. The need for a multicriteria, multisector, transdisciplinary approach to inform offshore decommissioning and the design of the next generation of offshore infrastructure is demonstrated. Exemplar activities in this direction are described.
The opportunity for society and governments to transform the agenda for decommissioning offshore infrastructure is put forward. Reduction in cost and risk and improved environmental outcomes of future generations of offshore infrastructure may exist for future generations in our (global) society by resetting how decommissioning offshore infrastructure is carried out.

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2018_Smart Infrastructure and Construction_Gourvenec_Next generation offshore infrastructure - Accepted Manuscript

Available under License University of Southampton Accepted Manuscript Licence.

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