SHELL'S PROPOSALS FOR BRENT SPAR: 21 OUT OF 29 ARE OK GREENPEACE TELLS LONDON CONFERENCE

PRESS RELEASE

SHELL'S PROPOSALS FOR BRENT SPAR: 21 OUT OF 29 ARE OK GREENPEACE TELLS LONDON CONFERENCE
LONDON, SEPTEMBER 25th 1996
Greenpeace supports 21 out of 29 of the proposals being considered by Shell for disposing of the Brent Spar oil installation, a conference in London heard today.
Speaking at the `Brent Spar and After' conference organised by Greenpeace Business, Chris Rose, Communications and Programmes Director of Greenpeace UK, highlighted the fact that only one of Shell's options now involved dumping the structure at sea.
This was the only option which Greenpeace had an in-principle objection to. A further seven are too unclear for the environmental organisation to support or comment on.
Addressing an audience of leading UK business executives and government officials, Chris Rose said that Shell's options showed there was no engineering obstacle to bringing oil installations on shore and recycling them. It increased the case for Ministers at next June's OSPARCOM (Oslo and Paris Commissions) meeting to convert the current moratorium on dumping old oil installations at sea into a permanent ban.
Chris Rose said, "Based on Shell's options it seems clear that the Spar is heading back to land. The signs are that Shell is now following the logic of environmental responsibility and public opinion. Governments should rule out all dumping as an option."
Chris Rose also revealed that Greenpeace is contacting the major engineering companies and consortia, unions and communities which might receive the decommissioning work. The aim is to encourage these groups to seek a consistent programme of decommissioning on land in preparation for the 70 facilities in the North Sea which will need decommissioning over the next decade.
Notes to correspondents:
1) Copy of the Greenpeace statement on the Brent Spar disposal options available on request.
2) Greenpeace has an in-principle objection to the Jan de Nul NV (Belgium) proposal. This proposal involved dumping the structure in a dredged trench.
3) The seven which Greenpeace is unable to support because of lack of detail or likely problems are:
Wood-GMC (UK) - removal of topsides as training facility onshore, use of column section in foundation of new quay facility at Mekjarvik harbour.
AKER Offshore Partner a.s. (Norway) - towing and dismantling in vertical, to Stord, Norway.
AMEC Process and Energy (UK) - re-use as coastal defence on UK east coast, or causeway and marina on UK west coast
Brown and Root Energy Services (UK) - upending to horizontal and towing to decommissioning for reuse and recycling at Nigg.
UMOE Haugesund AS (Norway) - towing with barge after movement by semisubmersible crane to Haugesund for dismantling.
Land and Marine Engineering Ltd [Costain] (UK) - vertical dismantling and disposal onshore.
Taylor Woodrow Civil Engineering (UK) - towing to dry dock for refurbishment, re-use or recycling at Hunterston.
4) `The Brent Spar and After' Conference was organised by `Greenpeace Business' to examine the changing relationship between governments, industry and environmental groups as a result of the Brent Spar controversy in 1995. It considered Greenpeace's solutions work which seeks to address the problems of the environment as well as confronting the industries responsible for creating them. 5) The Brent Spar is currently moored in a Norwegian Fjord after the successful 1995 Greenpeace campaign to stop Shell dumping it in the North East Atlantic. Shell UK has been running a public consultation process while it decides which decommissioning option to propose to the UK Government. 6) PLEASE NOTE: `The Brent Spar and After' conference is not open to the general media and we are unable to admit crews or photographers.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Greenpeace Press Office, +44 171-359 4837 or +44 171-865 8256/7