Professor Tina Hunter (University of Aberdeen) and Dr Alex Wawryk (University of Adelaide) will be preparing an OGEL special issue on "Decommissioning Offshore Energy Installations"

With thousands of offshore oil and gas platforms in place across the globe, the decommissioning of ageing installations is becoming of increasing concern to regulators, the industry, and other stakeholders in the marine environment. Offshore wind energy installations will also require decommissioning when these structures reach the end of their useful life. Whether structures are left intact, or partially or totally removed, decommissioning involves a range of economic, social, environmental, health and safety issues that must be addressed and managed by governments, industry and regulators.

Oil, Gas and Energy Law Journal (OGEL, ISSN 1875-418X) encourages the submission of relevant papers, studies, and comments on various aspects of this subject. In particular, it seeks to focus on current and emerging legal frameworks governing the decommissioning of offshore energy installations, including international, regional and national legal frameworks. Potential topics could cover issues such as: regulation and governance; the role of international law and bodies, including multilateral, regional and/or bilateral agreements; the adequacy of legal regimes; the role of industry-based standards and guidelines; and issues of legal liability. We welcome comparative legal approaches and multidisciplinary approaches to the topic. This special edition also seeks submissions of papers and studies on any other general or specific topics of interest that are relevant to decommissioning in the offshore environment.

Please send proposals by 15 April 2017 to Professor Tina Hunter & Dr Alex Wawryk (contact details on the OGEL website).