A Knowledge Based Decommissioning Alternative Selection System for Fixed Offshore Oil and Gas Platforms in Persian Gulf

Complexity and costly nature of operations involving in the decommissioning process require huge investments to be done during the lifetime of the field for its decommissioning phase of the total project. This work offers a knowledgebased decommissioning alternative strategy selection system for fixed offshore jacket platforms in the Persian Gulf. In this method, the alternative option of installing offshore wind turbines (OWT) as the most probable economic feasible alternative to decommissioning on an abandoned platform jacket structure in the Persian Gulf is proposed. In this regard, costs and benefits study between two strategies are considered; one total decommissioning and the other installing an OWT on the jacket structure of a local platform in the region. It is found that the second strategy is beneficial and saves near 9 million US dollars for company. Furthermore, the company earns the technology and experiences with OWT installation and operations and would be a technical leader in the region for coming years as well as improve the total rate of greenhouse gas emission production in the region.