Joint hosts Decom North Sea and Oil & Gas UK have announced that Paul Wheelhouse MSP, the Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands, will be at St Andrews Fairmont Hotel to launch the ninth annual Offshore Decommissioning Conference on November 27.

More than 450 delegates are expected to attend the conference, with a programme that includes discussion of initiatives aimed at helping the industry deliver the decommissioning cost-reduction target of 35%, set by the Oil and Gas Authority. 

In August, the Minister launched the third round of funding for North Sea decommissioning projects supported by the Decommissioning Challenge Fund (DCF), reaffirming the  Scottish Government’s commitment to enhancing the capability of the Scottish supply chain, with the aim of making Scotland play a key role in helping the UK become a world leader in decommissioning. 

The conference agenda reflects this objective, examining the strategic context of North Sea decommissioning, recent developments in science and technology which improve the outcomes for decommissioning projects and how the UK decommissioning sector can access the potential within a global market. 

John Warrender, Decom North Sea Chief Executive said: 
"The Offshore Decommissioning Conference supports Decom North Sea in its work to connect capability with opportunity; not least by explaining and promoting the initiatives that have the potential to benefit the industry. It is crucial to continue to grow the support the industry has received to date, and I look forward to hearing from Mr Wheelhouse as the Government continues to help foster a climate of innovation in all aspects of decommissioning.”

Energy Minister, Paul Wheelhouse said:
"I am delighted to be launching the Decommissioning Conference in St Andrews. It is undoubtedly a highlight of the decommissioning supply chain’s calendar, and I can see from those attending and those leading the sessions that it is going to be a stimulating and productive couple of days. 

"Events such as this conference are essential to bring the industry together to share expertise, to bring about new partnerships, and to foster collaboration.  The Scottish supply chain can already boast many successes in terms of areas like well-plugging and abandonment, but we are keen to maximise the opportunity for the supply chain across the full process.  I am pleased to say the development of capability in Scotland is truly outstanding and the Scottish Government will continue to work to support companies and infrastructure projects to fully capitalise on the decommissioning market which is estimated to be worth up to £17 billion between now and 2025.”

Mike Tholen, Oil & Gas UK’s upstream policy director, said:
"It is exciting to see how quickly the decommissioning industry is maturing and I am confident that the conference will show case’s the UK capabilities as a leader in oil field services from exploration through to decommissioning. 

"It is good to see both the Scottish and British Government commitment to promoting our decommissioning capability internationally; our industry has a real opportunity to become a champion of decommissioning excellence within the global arena.”

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