No need to dump rigs at sea - engineer

THERE are no technical or safety reasons why all the oil platforms in the North Sea cannot be removed, a senior Norwegian North Sea oil engineer told a London conference yesterday.

The view of the British oil industry and the British Government - that some very heavy platforms in deep water might need to be dumped on the seabed - is mistaken, according to Ronald Seim, a consultant to the Stavanger- based contractors Aker Offshore Partner AS.

Mr Seim and his company were involved in removing and dismantling the largest oil installation to be taken out of the North Sea, the Esso Odin gas platform, which was heavier than the Government thinks is practicable for removal.

Mr Seim was addressing a preliminary meeting in London of the Oslo-Paris Commission (OSPAR), the body which regulates the protection of the marine environment in the north-east Atlantic. In the aftermath of the 1995 controversy over Brent Spar, OSPAR is framing a treaty to be signed in July which will prohibit the sea dumping of all North Sea oil installations at the end of their natural lives.

As revealed in yesterday's Independent, Britain is seeking the option of dumping in situ steel platforms in more than 75 metres of water whose underwater substructure weighs more than 4,000 tonnes. There are 64 such platforms in UK waters.

Michael Meacher, the environment minister, confirmed the Government's position yesterday: "I think everyone accepts the heaviest structures, or those that are fractured, or are in the deepest water, cannot be safely brought back to land, but in all other cases they will be."

Although Britain's stance is supported by Norway, the other major North Sea oil operator, it is opposed by the 15 other member states of OSPAR, who want a blanket ban on dumping.

James May, Director-General of the UK Offshore Operators Association (UKOOA), the body that represents Britain's North Sea oil companies said yesterday: "The question is, what is the best environmental option? To take out something like Esso Odin you would use huge amounts of energy - enough energy to power Aberdeen for a month - and there is a huge amount of potential environmental damage.

"Some platforms may have alternative uses. In the Gulf Of Mexico, the oil companies want to take the platforms out but environmentalists and fishermen want to keep them as artificial reefs, because they help the recovery of the fisheries. We think they should be looked at on a case- by-case basis," he said.