ExxonMobil-subsidiary Esso Australia Pty Ltd is gearing up to present its decommissioning plan in Bass Strait before the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) early this year
The decommissioning campaign that will be undertaken in Bass Strait and the Onshore Reception Centre involves assets comprising 19 platforms with an estimated 400 wells, six subsea facilities and more than 800 kms of subsea pipelines.
Esso is all set to finally bring the curtains down with the Bass Strait decommissioning as most of the fields from the region are nearing the end of productive life after having served Australia's energy needs for more than 50 years. The first campaign will focus on topsides removal of up to 13 facilities, besides removing two monotowers and the upper jacket sections of up to 10 steel piled jacket (SPJ) facilities. These structures will be offloaded for dismantling at the Onshore Reception Centre at Barry Beach Marine Terminal, following which the end resources will be sent mostly for recycling, and the rest for disposal. Esso's association with the Barry Beach Marine Terminal can be traced back to the 1960s since when this port facility from South Gippsland has been the supply depot for Bass Strait oil and gas operations.
The campaign will see round-the-clock marine activities to remove around 60,000 tonnes of offshore facilities, including topsides and jackets. The facilities are predominantly comprised of steel, with the rest including primarily construction materials such as concrete, stainless steel, copper, wood and plastic.
Esso has onboarded Allseas Marine Contractors Australia who will be deploying its heavy lift vessel (HLV), Pioneering Spirit, for the project. Capable of removing entire offshore structures at one go, this vessel has the task covered in a matter of few months, allowing Esso to save considerably in time and costs. “This historic project gives us an opportunity to showcase the capability of our single-lift technology in challenging environments like the Bass Strait,” said Evert van Herel, General Manager of Allseas Australia. “We’re very much looking forward to working with Esso Australia to make this a successful project and thank them for their trust in Allseas to carry out this landmark project!”
