Leave oil rigs in the North Sea, say conservationists

Under 'rigs to reefs' idea, oil firms asked to consider turning decommissioned platforms into artificial reefs for marine life

Conservationists want oil companies and regulators to consider leaving more old rigs in the North Sea rather than removing them, with the savings paid into a fund to protect sealife.

After the Brent Spar debacle in 1995 when Shell provoked public outrage with plans to sink an old storage buoy, international regulations were imposed that work on the presumption that operators will remove rigs. Exemptions can be granted but are rare and on limited grounds.