Union concerns over the state of the North Sea decommissioning industry have been welcomed by Lucion Marine, which says the UK is well placed to secure the requirements of owners looking to dispose of oil rigs.

 

The RMT has reported that three semi-submersible drilling rigs will be scrapped in India and Bangladesh as part of work that Lucion believes could be undertaken at home, where there is the capacity, skills and experience to bring in decommissioning projects successfully.

Indeed, Lucion has a demonstrable track record working within the ship decommissioning sector and can bring this expertise and experience to bear for rig owners who operate responsibly and to the highest standards.

John Chillingworth, senior marine principal at Lucion Marine, said:

 “Our skills and expertise in marine are significant, enabling operators to cost effectively manage all kinds of unknown materials within their rigs, and ensure the work is completed to a high UK standard.”

The types of hazardous materials found on rigs include asbestos, PCBs, lead and possibly naturally occurring radiation from the production process. Prior to sending a rig for dismantling, its important that an Inventory of Hazardous Materials should be carried out by a certified expert to allow the recycling yard to plan the safe dismantling and associated costs.

Depending on what is found and its quantities and location will determine the cost of safe removal and disposal.

Lucion, which has more than 10 years’ experience undertaking Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) surveys on rigs and ships, is one of only two organisations approved by the EU Commission to verify the capabilities and standards of recycling yards, ensuring that they come up to standard under the EU approved register of recycling yards.

The company has extensive capabilities in producing recycling plans in accordance with the EU regulations and can advise on the management of hazardous materials to both working and end-of-life rigs. The firm’s team of surveyors are experienced and accredited by both Lloyds Register for the completion of Inventory of Hazardous Materials documents and UKAS accredited for the inspection and testing of asbestos.