The Study to Provide Information Related to Oil and Gas Platform Decommissioning Alternatives in California

The potential decommissioning of oil and gas platforms in the State Tidelands and on the Outer Continental Shelf off the California coast is a complex issue requiring careful collection and analysis of information on decommissioning alternatives.  To help address these needs, the California Ocean Science Trust (OST) is coordinating a "Study to Provide Information Related to Oil and Gas Platform Decommissioning Alternatives in California." 

This study will help the state examine the alternatives for decommissioning existing oil and gas platforms. The project will be funded jointly by the California Ocean Protection Council, Chevron Corporation, the Ocean Conservancy, the Sportfishing Conservancy, and the United Anglers, who have authorized up to $450,000 in funding to hire a qualified Consultant. The purpose of this study is to assemble and examine scientific and legal information that will frame future state policy discussions on the alternatives for decommissioned platforms.  Information developed through this study will be used by the California Natural Resources Agency to evaluate and inform policy discussions.  The 9-month study will be an iterative process where the selected Consultant will work with the California Ocean Science Trust and an Expert Advisory Committee. 

The OST released a Request for Proposal (RFP) on October 31, 2008 in search of a consulting team to conduct a study to evaluate decommissioning alternatives for existing offshore oil and gas platforms in California. Following the release of the RFP, OST assembled an Expert Advisory Committee to review the proposals and provide expert advice to the selected consulting team throughout the course of the study. Proposals were due by December 12, 2008, and the Expert Advisory Committee provided comprehensive reviews of the proposals. Based on these reviews, the top proposing teams were selected for in-person interviews with a selection panel. Following the interviews, the OST selected a consulting team.

Updates

October 2009: The OST hosted a public briefing – presented by the study team lead, Dr. Brock Bernstein – for the Study to Provide Information Related to Oil and Gas Platform Decommissioning Alternatives in California.  The meeting was held Wednesday, October 28 from 1p.m. to 4p.m. at the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project facilities at 3535 Harbor Blvd., Suite 110 Costa Mesa, CA.
Public briefing minutes are available as well as an overview of decommissioning options handout distributed during the briefing.
The Oil Platform Study Table of Contents is available here.

July 2009: The Project Team began work on the study in April 2009. On June 18, 2009, OST facilitated an Interim Expert Advisory Committee Meeting for the Project Team and the Expert Advisory Committee.  The meeting was centered on discussion of the Interim Deliverable - the Project Team's first product that detailed the team's progress to-date, provided a preliminary framework for their categorization of decommissioning alternatives, and outlined the approach that they will take to analyze the legal and regulatory setting for platform decommissioning. The Interim Meeting provided the Project Team with an opportunity to have in-depth discussions with the Expert Advisory Committee about their progress, receive feedback on the Interim Deliverable, and engage in collaborative problem-solving to help guide the direction of the team's future work.  The meeting was very productive and fruitful; the Expert Advisory Committee shared many insightful comments and thoughts with the project team.  The progress made in this meeting and the suggestions that the Expert Advisory Committee presented to the project team throughout the meeting will help keep the team on track for delivering a useful and informative product to the state.

May 2009: A Project Team has been selected for the Oil and Gas Platform Decommissioning Study.

Project Team

The Project Team for the Oil and Gas Platform Decommissioning Study is a multidisciplinary team representing a range of expertise, including marine ecology, socioeconomics, decision analysis modeling, and marine law and policy. The team includes the following individuals:

The Expert Advisory Committee

Given the importance of the issue, it is essential that the study process is thorough, deliberative, and incorporates the expertise of a broad range of individuals in relevant disciplines.  Therefore, OST has appointed an Expert Advisory Committee that will provide constructive guidance to the consultant throughout the course of the study. 

The Expert Advisory Committee will play a critical role in ensuring that the State receives authoritative and robust advice on this important issue.  They will inform the selection of the study team, review the selected team’s products, provide advice on the study process throughout the course of the project, and deepen the expertise that helps to shape the project findings. 

The Expert Advisory Committee will be responsible for the following tasks and deliverables:

1. Review and evaluate project proposals.
2. Review and comment on the Interim Deliverable prepared by the Consultant.
3. Participate in an Interim Meeting with the Consultant.  This Expert Advisory Committee meeting will serve as a forum for discussion and collaborative problem solving by the Consultant and the Expert Advisory Committee members, and will include consideration of the Expert Advisory Committee’s comments on the Interim Deliverable.  The meeting will be facilitated jointly by OST and the Expert Advisory Committee.
4. Review and evaluate the Consultant’s Draft Final Report.
5. Participate in the Final Advisory Committee Meeting.  This meeting will focus on clarifying needed changes and refinements to the draft report and any gap-filling research and analysis that might be warranted.  As with the first meeting, this one will serve as a forum for collaborative problem solving.

Please see the Expert Advisory Committee Scope Statement for more detailed information about the Committee.

The California Attorney General's Office will also provide advice to the OST, the consulting team, and the Expert Advisory Committee on issues regarding the legal components of the study.