The brief
The Camelot CA gas platform in the North Sea was decommissioned in 2011. Thomson Unicomarine was commissioned to undertake surveys in 2012 and 2014 to monitor the recovery of the seabed. This was to ensure the site was safe and the marine environment was recovering from any impacts to comply with OSPAR decision 98/3 and the Energy Act 2008.
What we did
- We conducted benthic fauna surveys and took samples for PSA and chemical analysis in 2012 and 2014, and we commissioned hydrographic surveys of the well and survey sites.
- Photo and video surveys were also carried out to determine if Sabellaria reefs were present in the area.
- The benthic fauna collected were processed and identified by our in-house marine taxonomy team. The PSA samples were also processed in house.
- We carried out advanced statistical analysis on the results, comparing results from 2012 and 2014 surveys to determine whether there had been any change in the benthic communities.
The outcome
We determined that there had been no significant change in species composition in the area, and that chemical contamination was not at levels of concern. Our report was signed off by DECC and the decommissioning of the platform was successfully completed.
The Camelot CA gas platform in the North Sea was decommissioned in 2011. Thomson was commissioned to undertake surveys in 2012 and 2014 to monitor the recovery of the seabed. We determined that there had been no significant change in species composition in the area, and that chemical contamination was not at levels of concern.
Thomson project manager, decommissioning project, Camelot
