5 ms·

I don't think so. These rigs look massive and permanent, but in reality they are constantly deteriorating. Thus, they should not be compared to an island. Salt

I don't think so. These rigs look massive and permanent, but in reality they are constantly deteriorating. Thus, they should not be compared to an island. Salt water is very bad for steel. And the ocean waves and winds constantly put stress on said steel. If they get left without being dismantled for a while, they will get into a very dangerous state where they are about to fall apart and it is too dangerous to even approach them. Then dismantling them will be much more expensive.

Ntrails 9y ago
>If they get left without being dismantled for a while, they will get into a very dangerous state where they are about to fall apart and it is too dangerous to even approach them. Then dismantling them will be much more expensive. Once the Well itself is plugged, what are the realistic consequences of just letting the things rust into oblivion?
- dx034 9y ago
  I guess they could crash, start floating around and hit ships.
- mason240 9y ago
  The value of scrap metal is so high I'm guessing the recovery will pay for itself.
  - gideonparanoid 9y ago
    That depends on how environmentally friendly you want to be in reclaiming that steel [0]: > A secondhand vessel is currently worth about $190 per tonne to a shipbreaking yard in Turkey, a price established by the local market in reclaimed steel. Sail on to China and a different market, and the same metal is worth $210 per tonne. At breakers’ yards in Alang in India, Chittagong in Bangladesh and Gadani in Pakistan, they will pay around $280 per tonne. Meanwhile, at the EU-approved shipbreaking sites, which are bound to conform to continental waste laws, and where vessels are dismantled in closed-off quays or dry docks, rates are less competitive: European yards offer zero dollars per tonne, and, in fact, tend to ask a fee to take a shipowners’ junk. [0] https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/may/02/where-oil-rigs-go-to-die https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/may/02/where-oil-r...
    - mason240 9y ago
      Interesting, thanks.
seb1204 9y ago
That is correct. The structural integrity of the platforms is only one aspect. How would you check/ensure that it is still fit for purpose? Another aspect I read on this topic and remember from the Brent Spar [1] case is that the cavities and tanks of these platforms are sometimes filled with unknown and/or highly toxic undefined stuff. Unless you 'clean' this up it might not be liveable. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brent_Spar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brent_Spar

Ntrails 9y ago

>If they get left without being dismantled for a while, they will get into a very dangerous state where they are about to fall apart and it is too dangerous to even approach them. Then dismantling them will be much more expensive. Once the Well itself is plugged, what are the realistic consequences of just letting the things rust into oblivion?

dx034 9y ago
I guess they could crash, start floating around and hit ships.
mason240 9y ago
The value of scrap metal is so high I'm guessing the recovery will pay for itself.
- gideonparanoid 9y ago
  That depends on how environmentally friendly you want to be in reclaiming that steel [0]: > A secondhand vessel is currently worth about $190 per tonne to a shipbreaking yard in Turkey, a price established by the local market in reclaimed steel. Sail on to China and a different market, and the same metal is worth $210 per tonne. At breakers’ yards in Alang in India, Chittagong in Bangladesh and Gadani in Pakistan, they will pay around $280 per tonne. Meanwhile, at the EU-approved shipbreaking sites, which are bound to conform to continental waste laws, and where vessels are dismantled in closed-off quays or dry docks, rates are less competitive: European yards offer zero dollars per tonne, and, in fact, tend to ask a fee to take a shipowners’ junk. [0] https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/may/02/where-oil-rigs-go-to-die https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/may/02/where-oil-r...
  - mason240 9y ago
    Interesting, thanks.

seb1204 9y ago

That is correct. The structural integrity of the platforms is only one aspect. How would you check/ensure that it is still fit for purpose? Another aspect I read on this topic and remember from the Brent Spar [1] case is that the cavities and tanks of these platforms are sometimes filled with unknown and/or highly toxic undefined stuff. Unless you 'clean' this up it might not be liveable. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brent_Spar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brent_Spar