Energy and marine consultancy ABL has been commissioned by Esso Australia Resources Pty Ltd (Esso) to provide marine warranty survey (MWS) services to support the safe and efficient delivery of the first phase of the Gippsland Decommissioning Campaign, Australia’s largest offshore decommissioning project.
Esso is the operator of the assets in the Bass Strait that are part of the Gippsland Basin Joint Venture. These comprise around 400 wells, six subsea facilities and more than 800 kilometres of subsea pipelines, and 19 platforms.
Esso is now undertaking the first Bass Strait decommissioning campaign, which is set to play a big role in Australia’s decommissioning and circular economy ambitions, given it involves the removal of around 60,000 tonnes of offshore structures and a target to recycle over 95% of materials.
Preparations for the campaign are well advanced, with the offshore lifting campaign to remove up to 12 platforms scheduled to commence in 2027 using Allseas’ Pioneering Spirit. In preparation, ABL is conducting suitability surveys to validate the proposed marine spread, and technical review and approval of decommissioning documentation. Its scope of work will include on-site attendance at all warranted offshore operations to ensure activities are executed safely and in line with approved procedures.
“This is a landmark project for Australia’s offshore industry, involving highly complex marine operations, including offshore lifting, transportation and discharge of substantial tonnage of assets that are up to half a century old,” said Adam Solomons, East Coast manager at ABL Australia. “Our extensive track record and multi-disciplined expertise that we offer in decommissioning, alongside our deep experience in offshore Australia – makes ABL well positioned to support Esso in reducing risk and optimizing their operations.”
ABL, which is part of the Oslo-listed ABL Group and whose Australian operation is headquartered in Perth, will draw on more than four decades of decommissioning experience, offering services from feasibility and owner’s engineering through to marine consultancy and MWS.
Well-Safe Solutions has been awarded a new contract to provide full Well Operatorship and asset execution for an unnamed client in the North Sea.
The contract scope will see the company undertake operations management of the well decommissioning, including initial subsurface analysis and well design engineering, followed by rig, service, and support vessel provision.
This marks the first Well Operatorship awarded to the company, providing a pivotal step for Well-Safe Solutions’ expanding service offerings across the well lifecycle.
The logical step forward enables more efficient well management through fully integrated package offerings – with owned assets, engineering and services under a single contract.
Phil Milton, CEO of West-Safe Solutions, said, “It has always been our plan to position the business to be able to fulfil the role of Well Operator for our customers and we are grateful for the opportunity to do so under this new contract. This contract, and the Well Operator appointment, recognises our credentials as a cost and schedule3 efficient partners with an outstanding safety record. With our market-leading assets, technical expertise and project management capabilities, we are ideally positioned to provide full Well Operatorship responsibility in the North Sea.”
This contract award represents the fourth major contract win for Well-Safe Solutions this year, following three previous North Sea decommissioning projects.
Weatherford International has received a deepwater integrated completions contract by ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration & Production Nigeria Ltd offshore Nigeria.
Selected for its well construction and completions portfolio, the contract secures Weatherford's integrated upper and lower completions services for deepwater wells. It also comes with a scope for supporting safety, reliability, well integrity, and operational efficiency over the lifecycle of the well.
The integrated completions equipment will be configured and prepared through Weatherford’s global supply chain and supported locally in Nigeria, in line with contract terms, to enable in-country execution and service delivery.
Girish Saligram, Weatherford’s president and chief executive officer, said, "This contract reflects our ability to deliver integrated completions solutions for deepwater operations. We will provide technologies designed to support well integrity, reliability, and efficient execution in complex offshore environments.”
Nigerian deepwater development sees consistent advancement, with Eni being one of the several oil majors investing in the region. The company's chief executive officer, Claudio Descalzi, recently met Nigeria's President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to discuss Eni’s significant investment portfolio — including the Abo and Bonga fields and Nigeria LNG — as well as on potential new developments designed to expand the country’s offshore production capacity. Within this framework, and in line with its long-term strategy in the country, Eni has recently expanded its interests in deep-water developments, with the acquisition of an additional stake in OML 118, now holding 15%.
Saipem and Petrobras have signed an agreement to initiate a technical dialogue aimed at assessing and potentially developing integrated solutions for decommissioning activities in Brazil, relating to oil and gas fields, subsea systems and associated infrastructure.
The one-year agreement focuses on plug and abandonment activities as well as subsea decommissioning, and defines a framework for technical and operational collaboration between the two companies, with the aim of improving the efficiency, sustainability and level of innovation of end of life infrastructure activities.
Under the agreement, Saipem and Petrobras will collaborate in the assessment of potential partnerships with specialised companies and institutions for decommissioning activities, as well as in the development and implementation of new technologies, methodologies and integrated solutions for this specific type of activity.
The cooperation will also include the evaluation of logistical and operational alternatives, such as the use of drilling units and vessels, as well as the enhancement of existing practices to address the main technical and operational challenges related to decommissioning activities.
Brazil is one of the world’s largest decommissioning markets. Since 2013, Petrobras has decommissioned the fixed Cação platforms (PCA-1, PCA-2 and PCA-3), in the Espírito Santo Basin, its own floating platforms P-7, P-12, P-15, P-27, P-34, in the Campos Basin, in addition to the chartered floating platforms FPSO Piranema Spirit, in the Sergipe Alagoas Basin, FPSO Brasil, FPSO Marlim Sul, FPSO Rio de Janeiro, FPSO Rio das Ostras, in the Campos Basin and FPSO Cidade de São Vicente, in the Santos Basin. 23 platforms and 2,000km flexible lines are set to be decommissioned by 2028, with a further 40 platforms after 2028.
Petrobras stresses the opportunities arising from decommissioning, and the potential to develop a new production chain, generating employment, income and value for society. It also emphasises the sustainable decommissioning model, with a circular economy approach and respect for the environment and local populations, as well as its focus on R&D into new decommissioning technologies and approaches.
Saipem meanwhkle has completed over 30 major decommissioning projects in various countries in the world since 1995. Its integrated engineering capabilities, logistics expertise and strong partnerships have enabled the company to successfully complete projects of any size in a wide variety of contexts.
Following preliminary estimates from drilling activities offshore Eastern Mediterranean, Eni is anticipating the presence of approximately 2 trillion cubic feet of gas initially in place and 130 Mbbl of associated condensates.
Discovered from the Denise W 1 exploration well, it especially aligns with the major's near-field and infrastructure-led exploration strategy as it comes with the potential for a massive fast-track development. The well is positioned less than 10 kms away from existing infrastructure, belonging to the Temsah Concession lying 70 km offshore in 95 m of water depth.
As part of substantial investments in brownfield assets, Eni had secured a 20-year renewal of the Temsah Concession in 2025 from the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation and Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company. The discovery thus comes as a significant return of investment for the oil major, similar to the now-producing Temsah field, which also featured a gas-bearing sandstone reservoir of excellent quality with about 50 m of net pay like the Denise well.
Eni's joint venture with EGPC, Petrobel, which operates the Denise Development Lease of the Temsah Concession, secures boosted gas output for the country, contributing to its national goals and energy security.
Eni operates the Denise Development Lease of the Temsah Concession with a 50% contractor working interest, alongside bp which holds the remaining 50%.
Eni has been active in Egypt since 1954 and today holds a diversified portfolio spanning exploration, development, and production, with oil and gas production of 242 kboed equity in 2025.
Ocean services provider DeepOcean has been selected to support the subsea decommissioning and disconnection of an FPSO in the UKCS.
The scope of work includes hydrocarbon and chemical injection flushing; isolation and disconnection of subsea trees, manifolds, and pipeline infrastructure; disconnection of risers and dynamic umbilicals; riser and mooring chain severance and recovery; and FPSO sail-away and tow to shore.
The project will be managed and executed by DeepOcean’s operations in Aberdeen.
Robin Mawhinney, Executive Vice President of DeepOcean’s EMEA region, said, “This is a significant project encompassing both subsea and topside scopes that strongly aligns with our extensive experience. Our innovative approach has been successfully demonstrated across many complex projects, and it’s our teamwork and proven capability that will drive a safe, efficient removal of subsea infrastructure, along with the safe towage of the FPSO.”
Gary Scott, Commercial Director of DeepOcean’s EMEA region, commented, “Execution will build on the methodologies and proprietary tooling that was pioneered at the disconnection of the Gryphon Alpha FPSO last year, enabling the full scope to be delivered entirely without the use of divers. This is a testimony to the team’s successful delivery of decommissioning scopes in the region.”
Unity has accelerated its global growth trajectory by securing more than £6mn in new contracts and committing £1.8mn to enhance its specialist technology portfolio.
A multi-million-pound decommissioning project with a global operator in the North Sea is just one in a series of recent wins for the company. Under the agreement, Unity will deliver a full scope of P&A services, including the supply of all required equipment.
The wider wins include three significant contract extensions and two Master Service Agreements with major oilfield service firms.
Unity has also secured a 15-well Thru-Tubing services scope. The contract is a result of the company’s significant investment in its well intervention tools.
Gary Smart, CEO of Unity, said, “This has been a landmark phase of progression and uplift for Unity, and I’m exceptionally proud of the results our team have delivered. We have made significant investments in our technology portfolio to ensure we can provide operators with assurance of well integrity from production to abandonment, and we are now turning our attention firmly to international growth.
“We have spent decades building specialist knowledge in well integrity in the UK, with more than 1,000 wells maintained and 300 well abandonment wells completed. We recognised the opportunity to take that expertise global. APAC is a key market, and we are already seeing strong early traction, with plans to expand our in-country capability over the coming year.”
To support growing demand, Unity has made a series of senior appointments: Gillian King has joined as Sales Director; Catherine Bain as Financial Director; Aimée Tennant as Head of Marketing; and Francis Newbatt as Technical Sales Manager. Stuart Slater has also relocated to Perth as Region Manager – Asia Pacific, where he will spearhead Unity’s expansion, which has already heralded a handful of projects to support mature assets in Australia and Malaysia.
Malaysia is entering a significant phase of offshore decommissioning as numerous ageing oil and gas platforms in the South China Sea reach the end of their operational lives.
PETRONAS is leading the effort to safely retire these installations through a combination of full removals, well plug and abandonment (P&A) operations, and selective repurposing.
As of May 2026, PETRONAS Carigali is progressing a major tender for the removal of up to 31 offshore platforms.
The tender, which covers structures ranging from approximately 100 tonnes to 15,000 tonnes, is expected to be awarded in packages across Sarawak, Sabah, and Peninsular Malaysia.
Industry contractors have shown strong interest in the work, which forms part of a broader programme to address ageing infrastructure.
Well abandonment activities are also advancing.
In early 2026, T7 Global Berhad, through its subsidiary Tanjung Offshore Services, completed well abandonment operations at the Zuhal East field.
Separately, HELMS Geomarine carried out geotechnical drilling campaigns in Sarawak waters between late January and late March 2026 to support jack-up rig operations for future P&A work.
PETRONAS has a track record in rigs-to-reefs (R2R) projects.
Since 2004, five offshore platforms have been successfully converted into artificial reefs, including Baram-8 in Sarawak and structures offshore Terengganu.
These projects aim to support marine biodiversity while meeting environmental requirements.
However, current plans emphasise a case-by-case approach, with options for complete removal, partial decommissioning, or repurposing depending on technical, safety, and regulatory factors.
In its Activity Outlook 2026-2028, PETRONAS highlighted expanded well decommissioning and intervention programmes.
The company has established a Hydraulic Workover Unit (HWU) Academy to develop local expertise and position Malaysia as a regional centre for decommissioning services.
Discussions at OTC Asia 2026 in Kuala Lumpur focused on technology adoption, cost optimisation, and environmental compliance in offshore decommissioning.
Approximately 35 platforms in Malaysian waters are more than 40 years old, and industry estimates suggest substantial decommissioning expenditure over the coming decade.
All activities fall under the oversight of PETRONAS Malaysia Petroleum Management, which requires detailed decommissioning plans covering safety, structural integrity, and seabed restoration where full removal is selected.
The current wave of activity reflects maturing fields and the need to manage end-of-life assets responsibly.
While large-scale platform removals remain in the tender and planning stages, the pace of preparatory work and early contracts indicates that execution will increase in the coming years.
Malaysia's offshore decommissioning programme is expected to serve as a reference for other countries in Southeast Asia facing similar challenges with ageing infrastructure.
PETRONAS continues to stress the importance of balancing cost efficiency with environmental responsibility in all offshore abandonment projects.
Offshore group DOF has announced what it called a “substantial” contract award — valued at between US$25mn and US$50mn — for subsea commissioning support services in the Asia-Pacific (Apac) region.
The deal bolsters the group’s order book across the Apac region, according to Mons Aase, Chief Executive of DOF Group ASA.
Under the new contract, the company will deploy its Skandi Inventor vessel for the execution of the offshore operations, which are scheduled to commence in Q2 2027 in North Australian waters.
The Skandi Inventor is designed for subsea construction and remotely-operated vessel services in up to 3,000 metre water depths.
The scope of work includes DOF's in-house project management and engineering, procurement and logistics support services, with the offshore campaign estimated to blast between 120 and 180 days.
The announcement did not identify the client or the specific project that it will work on, but it reflects ongoing demand for offshore services across the Apac region in everything from subsea commissioning through to oil well interventions and decommissioning and abadnonment.
“The award recognises the capabilities of Skandi Inventor and DOF as a trusted partner in the APAC region,” said Aase.
“The award also secures strong backlog for the Apac region, and we look forward to continuing to deliver safe, efficient and world class subsea and marine services.”
Australia’s offshore regulator, Nopsema, has issued new guidance that clarifies requirements for offshore decommissioning in Commonwealth waters.
The guidelines seek to clarify regulatory requirements for the removal of offshore oil and gas assets and the sea dumping of infrastructure in Commonwealth waters as part of decommissioning.
These waters are ocean zones that typically begin 3 nautical miles (approximately 5.5 kilometres) off the Australian coast and extend outward to the edge of Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) at 200 nautical miles.
“Decommissioning is a normal and expected part of the lifecycle of every offshore oil and gas project,” a 15 May, 2026 Nosema statement read.
“Under Australian law, the full removal of offshore property and infrastructure is the default requirement once operations have ended. The new guidance provides clarity on how existing legislative frameworks apply to decommissioning activities, and how proposals are assessed where alternatives to full removal are put forward.”
The guidance explains how the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 and the Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Act 1981 intersect when considering decommissioning outcomes.It outlines the categories of property and infrastructure that cannot be left in the marine environment, as well as those that may, in limited circumstances, be assessed by regulators to determine whether they are suitable to remain in the sea.
“The guidance aims to clarify application and assessment considerations for oil and gas titleholders or operators if proposing an alternative to full removal requirements to leave property or infrastructure in the sea,” the Nopsema statement added.
Importantly, it does not guarantee that any property or infrastructure will be approved to be left in place.
“Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis and must demonstrate that environmental and safety risks and impacts are acceptable under the relevant legislation. The guidance also supports early and proactive planning for decommissioning by setting out key application and assessment considerations for offshore titleholders and operators.”
The new guidelines were developed jointly by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, alongside Nopsema, following public consultation in 2024.
It does not introduce new policy or regulatory requirements, but clarifies how existing requirements are applied in practice.The full guidance document is available via the Department of Industry, Science and Resources website.
TotalEnergies and the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at expanding cooperation on offshore exploration activities in Egypt’s north-western offshore region.
The agreement establishes a framework for technical collaboration covering early-stage exploration work and subsurface assessments across a large offshore area believed to hold promising deepwater hydrocarbon potential.
Under the partnership, both organisations will work jointly on geological and geophysical studies, technical evaluations and exploration-related activities designed to improve understanding of the region’s subsurface formations and identify future development opportunities.
The move reflects Egypt’s continued efforts to strengthen its position as a major energy hub in the Eastern Mediterranean while attracting further international investment into its offshore sector.
Nicola Mavilla, senior vice president exploration at TotalEnergies, said the agreement reinforces the company’s long-standing relationship with Egypt and supports future energy development efforts.
“We are pleased to launch this cooperation with EGAS, which reflects our shared ambition to further strengthen our partnership with Egypt,” he said.
“This agreement will support the assessment of Egypt’s deep offshore exploration potential and contribute to future energy development opportunities in the region.”
Egypt has become one of the region’s most active offshore energy markets in recent years, supported by significant gas discoveries and increased exploration activity from global energy companies. The country continues to invest heavily in expanding production capacity and strengthening energy infrastructure as demand for natural gas rises both domestically and internationally.
The new agreement is expected to support additional technical collaboration between TotalEnergies and EGAS while contributing to Egypt’s wider strategy of increasing offshore exploration and boosting long-term energy security.
EGAS plays a key role in managing Egypt’s natural gas resources and coordinating upstream activities with international operators. Through partnerships with foreign energy companies, the organisation aims to accelerate exploration programmes and encourage new investments across the sector.
TotalEnergies has continued to expand its footprint in Egypt through a range of exploration, production and energy development initiatives. The company views the Egyptian market as strategically important within its broader operations across North Africa and the Mediterranean region.
Industry analysts have noted that deepwater offshore exploration remains a priority area for many international operators due to the region’s untapped reserves and growing infrastructure network.
Alongside its oil and gas activities, TotalEnergies continues to pursue investments across renewable energy, electricity, biofuels and low-carbon energy solutions as part of its long-term transition strategy.
The company operates in around 120 countries and employs more than 100,000 people globally, with ongoing investments focused on balancing energy security, operational growth and lower-carbon energy development.
Perenco Congo has completed drilling campaign on the Tchibouela East field offshore Republic of Congo.
The results of the five infill well campaign, which concluded at the end of 2025, now show a sustained material uplift in production, providing an additional 6,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd).
The drilling campaign entailed advanced offshore drilling techniques, including horizontal and u-shaped wells, which resulted in higher oil recovery, while reducing operational risks.
Following the positive results from the Tchibouela East campaign, Perenco Congo has now started a new five well drilling campaign on the Masseko field, designed to increase producIon from the field as well as testing a new geological horizon.
“We have seen a sustained uplift in production following the recent five well infill campaign on the Tchibouela East field. This positive result clearly demonstrates our ability to extend field life and maximise the value of acreage for the benefit of all stakeholders. Tchibouela East has been in production for almost thirty years and we are pleased to help ensure that the field can produce for many more years to come. The operational tempo continues and we are now drilling on the Masseko field, where initial results from first production are encouraging,” said Gregoire de Courcelles, managing director of Perenco Congo.
