Course 5: Decommissioning Oil & Gas Facilities and Infrastructure (2024) [EN/ES]

What is the aim of the Decommissioning course?

To enhance the understanding of the initial phases for decommissioning oil field infrastructure, both onshore and offshore, and related environmental considerations. This course covers the roles and responsibilities under national and international legal frameworks as well as financing, challenges, and key steps to ensure sustainable decommissioning.

What are the learning objectives of the course?

Participants are expected to:

• Develop basic knowledge on, and understand the role of, decommissioning in the oil & gas value chain;
• Appreciate environmental issues/concerns associated with decommissioning and remediation of oil & gas installations;
• Understand the socio-economic opportunities, risks, costs, and technological challenges related to both offshore and onshore decommissioning, enhanced through case study examples;
• Familiarize with environmental regulatory and legal frameworks and institutions associated with oil & gas infrastructure decommissioning, including institutional roles and responsibilities, financing, and constraints.

Who is the target audience?

This course targets government officials responsible for regulation, monitoring, or implementation of environmental legislation in the oil & gas sector, as well as members of industry, civil society, and academia with roles related to environmental regulation, advisory, or management in the oil & gas sector.

Resource materials

Presentation slides

• Module 1: Overview of decommissioning process
• Module 2: Obligations and challenges of decommissioning in the oil & gas value chain
• Module 3a: Onshore decommissioning basics
• Module 3b: Offshore decommissioning basics
• Module 4: Decommissioning planning
• Module 5: Environmental and societal considerations of decommissioning
• Module 6: Environmental regulatory frameworks for decommissioning
• Module 7: Assessments, site clean up, and reporting
• Module 8a: Italy offshore decommissioning case study
• Module 8b: California and Thailand offshore decommissioning case studies
• [SPANISH] Module 1: Overview of decommissioning process
• [SPANISH] Module 2: Decommissioning steps, challenges, and obligations
• [SPANISH] Module 3: Basics of onshore (terrestrial) decommissioning
• [SPANISH] Module 4: Environmental and social considerations
• [SPANISH] Module 5: Assessments, site clean up, and reporting

Video recordings

• Webinar: Decommissioning Oil & Gas Fields Webinar (October 2021)
• Complete playlist: Decommissioning Course supplementary videos

Group exercises

• Instructions (classroom style)
• Instructions (includes field visit component)
• [SPANISH] Instructions (includes field visit component)
• Reference materials
  • [SPANISH] Environmental management guide for fuel service stations

Knowledge assessment questionnaire

• Test questions (with answer key)
• [SPANISH] Test questions (with answer key)

Workshop reports

• Sample report: Multi-country Training Course on Site Decommissioning and Remediation (December 2021)
• Sample report: Colombia National Training on Decommissioning Oil & Gas Infrastructure (September 2024)
• [SPANISH] Sample report: Colombia National Training on Decommissioning Oil & Gas Infrastructure (September 2024)

Supplementary publications

• Decommissioning Oil & Gas Infrastructure Course publications folder (Google Drive)

#EECentreResources

List of UNEP trainings related to oil spill preparedness and response

1. Foundation Course for Reducing Pollution Risks in Oil & Gas
2. Hazardous Chemicals and Waste Management in Oil & Gas
3. Upstream Oil & Gas in Environmentally Sensitive Areas
4. Oil Contaminated Site Assessment & Remediation
5. Decommissioning Oil & Gas Facilities and Infrastructure
6. Managing Associated Gas: Processing and Treatment