Decommissioning California’s Offshore Platforms: Rigs to Reefs in Politically Hot Waters

Raftican, T and Steinbach, G (2005) Decommissioning California’s Offshore Platforms: Rigs to Reefs in Politically Hot Waters. In: "Offshore Development-New Frontiers of Opportunity" - CoastNet conference, 15 Sep 2005, London, UK.

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Summary

The oil and gas platforms along the coast of Southern and Central California are large, ageing steel structures located from one to ten miles offshore, similar in size and scale to those in the North Sea. Many stand in deep water, up to 1200 feet, making them very difficult and expensive to remove. Expeditious removal of these platforms is a high priority for most environmental groups in a State decidedly hostile to the oil industry and jealously protective of its beautiful and environmentally sensitive coastline. However, the inevitability of these removal projects has been upset by facts and circumstances that could not have been foreseen a decade ago, when a small team of marine scientists from the University of California at Santa Barbara began to study the underwater portions of these platforms. They discovered thriving marine habitats supporting important fish species that are severely depleted in their natural environments. In response to a broad constituency of ocean users, the California Artificial Reef Enhancement Program (CARE) has taken up the challenge to save these marine habitats through a combination of research to define the ecological role of these artificial reefs and public awareness programs to build a coalition of ocean users to support their preservation. The important question is now finally being asked: What is the best way to decommission the California oil and gas platforms?

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