But it included long 'to do' lists to make sure old platforms, operating in very challenging corrosive conditions, are not putting offshore workers or the environment at risk.

BBC: Statoil platforms

Instead, these researchers claim, it would be both cheaper for oil companies and better for the environment if decommissioned offshore oil rigs were allowed to remain and be transformed into artificial reefs.

FORBES: Environmental Scientists Urge That Decommissioned Oil Rigs Be Transformed Into Artificial Reefs

Safety - both for the marine environment and those who work offshore - must be a priority.

BBC: Braer oil spill: Warning 20 years after Shetland disaster