Abandoned oil and gas pipelines releasing microplastics into oceans

Abandoned oil and gas pipelines are releasing significant amounts of microplastics into the ocean as they degrade on the seabed. A study published in the ‘Journal of Hazardous Materials’ suggests that abandoned pipelines, cables, and hoses in the British continental shelf alone could produce between 4.5 and 500 tons of microplastics annually.

Research led by Freya Mendrik from the University of Plymouth indicates that over 120,000 tons of plastic remain from decommissioned offshore infrastructure. In the North Sea, where oil and gas have been exploited since the 1960s, large rigid pipelines are frequently left on the ocean floor. Analysis of Shell UK Ltd pipelines from the Brent oil field, which remained submerged for 22 years before being recovered in 2024, revealed fragmentation and cracks caused by sand, currents, and marine organisms.

The issue is not limited to the United Kingdom; researchers noted that more than 97 percent of decommissioned oil and gas pipelines in the United States have been left on the seabed since the 1960s. Beyond microplastics, there are concerns regarding the potential leakage of heavy metals, such as mercury, from these abandoned structures.