A comprehensive study on environmental impacts of offshore platforms abandonment and decommissioning in Malaysia

An interview was conducted with a professional key person attached closely to Oil Rigs Operation in an international company who wants to remain unanimous to get a deeper insight into the discontinuation of Oil Rigs in Malaysia The participant in an open-ended interview highlights the beginning of Malaysia's decommissioning regulations, which lacked many of the expected criteria because there are only a few fixed offshore platforms in the country's waters that have been decommissioned without a wellestablished localised regulatory framework. Based on the interview with the professional engineer who had extensive experience in the oil and gas fields, Malaysia's decommissioning laws are not as mature compared to other countries, such as the North Sea UK and New Zealand, has stringent regulations. He also recommended that Malaysia follow examples from these countries because they critically consider public perception, and their lawmakers empower other agencies to monitor, control, and enforce regulations during decommissioning. For instance, Environment Protection Authority Te Mana Rauhi Taiao provided that New Zealand's decommissioning plans must first be accepted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) before consent can be obtained for activities required for decommissioning in their field. Also, their decommissioning plans and regulations are subjected to public consultation before being accepted, as seen in the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects Decommissioning Plans) Regulations 2021. This approach is lacking from the Malaysian perspective.