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Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) is reviewing New Zealand’s national policy and position on the decommissioning of offshore facilities, which will culminate in guidance for the offshore industry.
The process began in August 2010, with a presentation in Wellington about overseas decommissioning experiences, and was followed by consultation with industry and the public.
MNZ is the government agency responsible for administering New Zealand’s marine dumping provisions in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and extended continental shelf.
This is provided for through Part 21 of the Maritime Transport Act 1994 and the standards contained within Marine Protection Rule Part 180, which give effect to New Zealand’s obligations as party to the 1996 Protocol to the 1972 London Dumping Convention.
Part 21 of the Maritime Transport Act (MTA) specifically provides for the regulation of deliberate disposal of platforms or other man-made structures into the sea. This is derived from the London Protocol, whose definition of dumping covers deliberate disposal and abandonment or toppling of such structures. Provisions in Annex I (1.4) define these structures as acceptable waste.
New Zealand maritime legislation mirrors Annex II of the London Protocol, which has a hierarchy for preferred waste management options in increasing order of environmental impact: reuse; offsite recycling; destruction of hazardous constituents; treatment to reduce or remove the hazardous constituents; and disposal on land, into air and in water.
Marine disposal is considered the last resort, and all practically recoverable material is expected to be removed. Reflecting international best practice developed for offshore decommissioning, MNZ, as the administering agency, also expects a clean seafloor to be achieved where practical and possible.
MNZ considers that more detailed guidelines specific to decommissioning offshore facilities would be helpful. It intends to seek the views of industry and the public through a process of formal consultation, and then will provide clear guidance based on its development of a national policy on offshore decommissioning.
