Collaboration will be integral to the success of Australia’s decommissioning efforts, according to Dr Francis Norman, CEO of the Centre of Decommissioning Australia (CODA).
Reflecting on a recent workshop in Jakarta for Indonesian government officials and operators, Norman underlined the power of partnership and the need for knowledge sharing across the industry and across different territories.
“Time and time again, we hear at industry conferences and forums that collaboration will be critical to addressing the challenges of offshore decommissioning,” he said.
“This workshop was a great example of that in practice, bringing together Australian and Indonesian stakeholders to share experiences, discuss different approaches and build a stronger understanding of the opportunities and challenges ahead.”
The two-day CODA workshop was held in collaboration with Australia’s Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR) and the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA).
Held in July, it brought together 40 participants to support knowledge exchange between Australian and Indonesian stakeholders and build capability in managing the challenges associated with offshore oil and gas decommissioning.
“As countries across the region prepare for increasing decommissioning activity, continued knowledge exchange and cooperation will be an important part of supporting safe, sustainable and effective outcomes,” said Norman.
CODA reported on the workshop in a 5 August statement posted to its website.
“Australia and Indonesia share a common interest in effective offshore decommissioning outcomes, with both countries preparing for significant decommissioning activity in the coming decades,” it noted.
“Building understanding between regulators and government officials provides an opportunity to share experiences, compare approaches and strengthen collaboration across the region.”
CODA said the workshop was developed to provide practical insights across the offshore decommissioning lifecycle, from regulatory frameworks and planning through to execution, environmental management and sustainability considerations.
Sessions covered topics including international and Australian regulatory frameworks, Indonesia’s regulatory approach, well decommissioning, facility and subsea decommissioning, late-life asset management, platform reutilisation, cost estimation, hazardous materials management and environmental assessment.
The programme also included contributions from Australian and Indonesian government representatives, including NOPSEMA, DISR’s Northern Endeavour branch, and Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), providing perspectives from both jurisdictions.
As part of a broader capability-building initiative, CODA also developed a version of its recently released online well plug and abandonment training module, adding Bahasa Indonesia subtitles.
The module provides an additional resource for Indonesian officials to continue building their understanding of key decommissioning concepts beyond the workshop.
According to CODA, the Jakarta workshop marked the latest step in ongoing Australia–Indonesia collaboration on offshore decommissioning, supporting greater understanding of the technical, regulatory and operational considerations involved in managing offshore assets through their end-of-life phase.
