Scottish fishermen will gain access to a rich new fishing ground under plans to decommission two North Sea fields.
Endeavour Energy UK has lodged plans to dismantle infrastructure at its Rubie and Renee sites, located 70 miles north-east of Aberdeen.
Papers lodged with the UK Government’s Department for Energy and Climate Change show that more than 6,000 tonnes of pipeline are to be left on the seabed when the fields are abandoned for good.
However, they reveal that the site is a spawning ground for cod, whiting, mackerel, herring and prawns.
“There will be beneficial impacts from decommissioning the Rubie and Renee fields, both to the environment and to society,” it states.
“The area will be opened up to fishing and a larger area of habitat will be available for colonisation by benthic fauna and demersal fish.”
While fishermen will benefit from new grounds, there is a warning that infrastructure left on the sea floor could snag nets.
Up to 1,000 tonnes of material, including the wellheads, will be brought ashore to be recycled.
But many of the 36 pipelines to be decommissioned will be left behind.
The company says it has explored seven options for decommissioning, but narrowed the choices down to two based on feasibility – recovery of the pipelines by reverse reel, or leave them in place. The firm decided that leaving them in place was the easiest, cheapest and safest option.
They will launch a short programme of works to bury the pipelines, making it easier for fishermen to trawl over them.
“A remedial rock covering will minimise the snagging risk for fishermen,” the firm states.
“The graded rock will be placed on to the seabed in a carefully-controlled operation using a dedicated rock placement vessel equipped with a dynamically-positioned fall pipe.”
Work to decommission the fields is expected to begin before next summer and the operation could take up to four years to complete.