Oil regulator opposes release of North Sea pollution documents

Environmental groups are condemning the UK’s oil and gas regulator for using lawyers to try to prevent the publication of five key documents relating to the environmental impact of Shell’s activities in the North Sea.

- Wil Crisp

At a hearing in December, a legal representative for the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) is expected to argue against the publication of documents that contain details about the pollution risks of decommissioning the Brent oil field , which was operated by Shell for more than 40 years. It says it opposes publication “on a matter of process basis”.

Shell has applied for an exemption from international rules that require all infrastructure to be removed from the field and the UK government is deciding whether it will allow the firm to leave the 170-metre-high (560ft) legs in place for three platforms .

The leg s contain 64 concrete storage cells , 42 of which have previously been used for oil storage and separation. Most cells are the size of seven Olympic pools, and together hold an estimated 72,000 tonnes of contaminated sediment and 638,000 cubic metres of oily water.

Environmental groups say the documents held by the NSTA would reveal information about long term environmental dangers that is relevant to other North Sea oil developments, including Equinor’s plans to develop Rosebank, the UK's largest untapped field.