Streamlining the regulatory journey for offshore oil and gas decommissioning

DecomRegHub Regulatory Forum

The DecomRegHub partnership supports UK and Scottish Government objectives of minimising the cost of decommissioning whilst ensuring high standards of environmental protection and safety. It was set up to streamline the regulatory journey for offshore oil and gas decommissioning, promote regulatory clarity and coordination around decommissioning, and help industry understand compliance expectations, meet their obligations efficiently, and identify and exploit opportunities

The Regulatory Forum provides a platform for regulators working in offshore oil and gas decommissioning to collaboratively address key cross-regulatory challenges and problems in the decommissioning life cycle, and identify shared opportunities for innovation. The Forum is supported by senior managers from each regulator, with support from specialist staff.

The Forum operates on five key principles:

  • Collegiate - the Forum is transparent and consultative, dealing with subjects that affect multiple regulators
  • Multi-regulator - the Forum will not be used to solve problems that are the sole concern of only one partner regulator
  • Progressive - the Forum will achieve goals that positively impact the regulatory process and the decommissioning sector
  • Outcomes effectively communicated - the Forum will record any agreed decisions and positions and make these available as appropriate
  • Independent - the Forum will not intervene in the decisionmaking processes of any participating regulator

Our model for the Forum's operation is shown below.

Model for forum operation

A downloadable version of this image can be found here​. More information on the operation of the Forum can be found in our Terms of Reference

 

What issues can be considered by the Forum

Regulatory Forum meetings bring clarity to the regulatory roles and remits of each partner regulator.  We have applied this knowledge to novel issues arising from the increase in decommissioning work, such as regulating the decommissioning and removal of NORM-contaminated pipelines and coordinating regulatory input into Decommissioning Programme consultations.

We can help with:

- industry and regulatory queries around emerging decommissioning processes and opportunities

- issues where regulatory requirements appear to conflict

- clarifying which regulator or regulators need to be consulted about aspects of a decommissioning operation.

 

If you have an issue which relates to only one regulator, please contact them directly – you will find contact details in the links on our Partners page.

If you believe you or someone else has >breached regulatory or permit conditions, please report immediately to the relevant regulator(s).

More information can be found in our FAQ's

 

Contacting the Forum

The best way to raise an issue for the Forum to consider is through our email address .  If the issue falls within the Forum's remit, and respond as soon as possible, signposting to other resources and contacts.  Any issues which can't be resolved immediately will be put on the agenda for discussion by the Forum.