Around the world there are more than 7.000 offshore oil & gas installations in place many of which will have to be decommissioned in the coming years and decades. Over the next 10-20 years, an average of 15-25 installations are expected to be abandoned annually. In addition several thousands of kilometres of pipelines will have to be removed, trenched or covered. The continental shelf bordering the states of the European Community and Norway has more than 600 offshore oil and gas platforms, and several thousand kilometres of pipelines. Check the Maps & Databases for a detailed overview of offshore activities in the North Sea & Atlantic Frontiers and the expected Cessation of Production of platforms.

Decommissioning of offshore installations, including pipelines, requires the selection of specialized contractors and equipment, such as dedicated vessels and underwater vehicles. We offer you a range of online registers, covering all Construction vessels, Survey vessels, Dredging vessels, R.O.V.'s, Anchor Handling, Tugs and Supply Vessels of the World, their specifications and their managers & operators. Check these registers.

Offshore decommissioning is a specialized market sector, that requires the services & products of well experienced contractors, engineers, consultants and suppliers. In cooperation with UKOOA's North Sea Decommissioning Group a dedicated international Business Directory has been initiated. Check the Business Directory for locating qualified companies. You can also register your company and its specific decommissioning services & products.

Decommissioning requires Environmental Impact Assessments and use of environmentally sound technology. Therefore environmental data on background values and present states around the installations are important as well as insights in existing knowledge and research. With support of operator associations, national departments and institutes, and consultants we offer you a library of relevant research and industry reports, that in many cases can be downloaded. Also we offer metadatabases of environmental monitoring & sampling activities. These include geological & geochemical samples, environmental monitoring stations, and bathymetric surveys. Check the Reports library and Environmental metadata.

The countries around the NW European shelf and the OSPAR commission have defined regulatory frameworks for offshore oil & gas exploration and exploitation, including regulations for decommissioning activities. You can tour the websites of the authorities concerned and browse through these regulations.