Managing the inputs of NGOs and other stakeholders into the offshore oil and gas platform decommissioning process in Thailand | |
| Author | Ekkashan Wasukree |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.ST-03-40 |
| Subject(s) | Conflict management--Thailand Non-governmental organizations--Thailand |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering, School of Engineering and Technology |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Thesis ; no. ST-03-40 |
| Abstract | Offshore oil and gas platforms and related structures are required to be decommissioned at the end of their useful lives. There has been much debate in the last few years about the impact of decommissioning process on the environment, on the health & safety of workers, the costs involved and the technology required. The industry needs to develop solutions that balance these factors for the overall benefit of the environment and society. Many of the existing offshore oil and gas platforms and related structures in the Gulf of Thailand will reach the end of their useful lives and will be required to be decommissioned in the near future. In Thailand, offshore oil and gas platform decommissioning is perceived as new issue that is urgently needed to establish clear policies and to support these policies with a defined process and appropriate regulations and control. The local NGOs in Thailand are now a strong force that has often stalled government or private-sector attempts to launch large projects with doubtful environmental impact. In the international level, the role and impact of the NGOs related to the offshore oil and gas platform decommissioning have been recognized since the Brent Spar disputes. Therefore, the opinions, requirements and required level of involvement of the NGOs and other related stakeholders should be taken into account to avoid any conflicts in decommissioning projects. This study was undertook to determine the NGOs and academics who are interested in decommissioning issue, and the fisheries group who may be affected from decommissioning projects in order to understand their needs and required level of involvement to be incorporated into the development of decommissioning policies and process in the early stage, which will be able to help to more fully define the environmental criteria that will provide guidance for technology selection and operation's processes with minimal potential conflicts. Multiple stakeholders provide multiple perspectives, leading to the development of a comprehensive understanding of the problem. The various decommissioning issues, namely financial, legal, policy, process, environmental and technical issues were discussed and the stakeholders of interest addressed their concerns in the form of opinions towards each issue through the interviews. They were also interviewed for their requirements and required level of involvement in each decommissioning process consisting of Planning, Review and Approval, Execution, Closeout, and Ongoing Monitoring. Besides, the other general issues directly and indirectly relating to decommissioning were addressed by those stakeholders. According the findings, some issues, e.g. responsible party for decommissioning cost, decommissioning options and techniques were likely to cause conflict. These inputs are of significance in the formulation of comprehensive decommissioning policy, amendment of related laws and regulations, decision-making process, the development of decommissioning guidelines, and the selection of removal option and decommissioning alternative, with minimal conflict. |
| Year | 2003 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Thesis ; no. ST-03-40 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Engineering and Technology |
| Department | Department of Civil and Infrastucture Engineering (DCIE) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Structural Engineering (STE) /Former Name = Structural Engineering and Construction (ST) |
| Chairperson(s) | Ogunlana, Stephen Olu;Chotchai Charoenngam; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Twarath Sutabutr; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Royal Thai Government (RTG); |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2003 |