News

Decommissioning Body Explores Opportunities in Shetland - 07 May 2012

Decom North Sea (DNS), the offshore oil & gas decommissioning forum, is staging a learning journey to explore future offshore decommissioning opportunities in Shetland.

The visit is taking place on May 9 and 10 to help members understand what Shetland can offer the offshore decommissioning industry and to identify opportunities for future collaborations and partnerships.

DNS Chief Executive Brian Nixon said: "Shetland is likely to play a key role in future offshore decommissioning projects due to its location in the crossroads of the North Sea and the Atlantic. It is strategically located to service and support offshore decommissioning activity in the northern and central North Sea as well as to the West of Shetland.

"Lerwick is positioning itself as a centre of excellence in decommissioning, marine support and logistics due to having a comprehensive portfolio of benefits such as proven capability, experienced contractors and workforce, sheltered very deep water and excellent shipping links with the mainland.

"Previous trips to Shetland have been highly beneficial and we believe our members who attend this year's learning journey will be able to build useful knowledge about opportunities for their companies. It has the added benefit of allowing the supply chain to seek opportunities for collaborations by giving them the chance to network and build valuable connections for the future."

Visits and meetings are being organised with Lerwick Port Authority, Peterson SBS, Veolia Environmental Services, AF Decom, the Energy Recovery Plant, ZE1 Global and the NAFC Marine Centre.

On the final day of the visit (Thursday May 10), Decom North Sea is hosting a business breakfast, which will be an excellent opportunity for local Shetland companies to gain an understanding of the opportunities in offshore decommissioning as well as network with some of the current key players in the industry. Mr Nixon will give an overview of the huge market opportunities as well as an update on DNS and some of the initiatives it is currently working on. This will be followed by presentations from Marathon Oil and CNR International on their forthcoming offshore decommissioning projects.

DNS has grown since its inception in 2010, to have nearly 200 members drawn from operators, major contractors, service specialists and technology developers. With annual decommissioning expenditure in the North Sea forecast to top �1billion within a few years, DNS was set up to tackle the main areas of weakness, which are inhibiting decommissioning supply-chain capability.

To find out more about future events and how to join Decom North Sea, or to register for the business breakfast contact Sarah Hillyear on 07825 818 764 or email shillyear@decomnorthsea.com.