This paper presents some of the issues which have influenced the decommissioning planning for the Heather Field facilities. The paper is based on the results of conceptual and pre-engineering work performed to date, and covers the following:

  • –

    brief background on the Heather Field development and production history, field facilities, and achievements in extending field life to date,

  • –

    considerations and constraints which have shaped Unocal's approach to the planning of the Heather Field decommissioning project, and

  • –

    discussion of the stages to be undertaken in performing the decommissioning of the field facilities, concepts and options which exists for these stages, and operational and technical considerations applicable to each stage. The stages addressed include engineering and planning, well plugging and abandonment, topside systems cleaning and preparation for removal, pipelines decommissioning, topside facilities removal and disposal, and platform structure removal and disposal.

Keywords:
onshore, pipeline, upstream oil & gas, programme, engineering, module, operation, installation, spe 30372, preparation
Subjects:
Casing and Cementing, Safety, Environment, Strategic Planning and Management, Water use, produced water discharge and disposal, Project management, Completion Installation and Operations, Facilities Decommissioning and Site Remediation
Copyright 1995, Society of Petroleum Engineers
You can access this article if you purchase or spend a download.