en.Wedoany.com Reported - Energy and marine consultancy ABL has secured a service contract to support Esso Australia Resources in initiating the dismantling preparations for up to 12 offshore platforms in the Gippsland Basin. This marks the first phase of Australia's largest offshore decommissioning project.
Esso operates the Gippsland Basin Joint Venture, which is advancing the decommissioning of approximately 400 wells, six subsea facilities, over 800 kilometers of subsea pipelines, and 19 platforms. These platforms have been in service for more than 50 years in the waters between Victoria and Tasmania.
When announcing the contract in late May, ABL stated that the project involves dismantling approximately 60,000 tonnes of offshore structures, with a target recovery rate exceeding 95%. ABL views this project as a key milestone in Australia's decommissioning ambitions.
Australian operators are expected to invest over $40.5 billion by 2050 in decommissioning aging offshore assets. This estimate reflects legal requirements for the industry to bear all costs, including infrastructure removal, well plugging, and site remediation.
ExxonMobil is leading this process through its plugging and abandonment activities in the Bass Strait, off southeastern Australia, with plans to complete well plugging operations at Bream this year. Allseas' heavy-lift vessel Pioneering Spirit is scheduled to arrive in the Gippsland region in the third quarter of 2027 to begin removing topsides and jackets.
In a press release, ABL said Esso has commissioned its Australian division to provide Marine Warranty Survey (MWS) services to support the first phase of the decommissioning project. "This is a landmark project for the Australian offshore industry, involving highly complex offshore operations, including offshore lifting, transportation, and unloading of a large number of half-century-old assets," said Adam Solomons, ABL's East Coast Australia Manager.
Adam Solomons added that ABL's extensive track record and multidisciplinary expertise in decommissioning, combined with its experience in Australian offshore operations, enable it to help Esso mitigate risks and optimize operations. ABL, part of the Oslo-listed ABL Group, has over 40 years of decommissioning experience, supporting offshore oil and gas and offshore wind projects globally, with services covering feasibility studies, owner's engineering, marine consultancy, and MWS.
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