The United Kingdom and Australia have formed a partnership agreement to strengthen cooperation on offshore oil and gas decommissioning.
Announced in a joint statement, the governments of the UK and Australia have sought to establish the partnership that builds on the recently-signed Australia-UK Climate and Energy Partnership. It will combine the 40 years of UK expertise in the North Sea with the blossoming decommissioning services market in Australia.
The agreement was signed by Australian Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia, Madeleine King, and the UK Minister for Services, Small Businesses and Exports, Gareth Thomas. Together, they agreed to encourage cooperation in areas including supply chains, knowledge and skills, regulations, and financing while supporting engagement between UK and Australian businesses engaged in decommissioning.
Furthermore, it will establish a working group comprising industry representatives, academic partners, and regulatory bodies to develop a collaborative framework and partnership programme. This will identify viable decommissioning projects that would benefit from cooperation, delivering these in accordance with international quality and sustainability standards.
Through the identification of capability, equipment gaps and strengths, the group will also facilitate the sharing of decommissioning expertise between the two countries with knowledge transfer opportunities.
