Modern American Recycling Services Europe (MARS) has been named as the contractor to recycle Australia’s Northern Endeavour floating production storage and offtake (FPSO) vessel.
“MARS best meets the Australian government’s aims for completing this important decommissioning work,” the Department for Industry, Science and Resources said in a statement.
“We contracted MARS following a global, competitive open tender. Under the contract, MARS will recycle the FPSO and manage the waste streams, including hazardous waste. The priority is for MARS to complete the work to high safety and environmental standards and meet all Australian and international requirements.”
China’s COSCO Shipping Heavy Transport will first dry tow the FPSO to Denmark using its semi-submersible heavy transport vessel, the Hua Rui Long.There are no purpose-built facilities in Australia equipped to recycle a vessel as large and complex as the Northern Endeavour FPSO.
MARS will then complete the recycling at its ship recycling facility in Frederikshavn.
“This purpose-built facility has the capacity to recycle the Northern Endeavour FPSO and meets the European Union’s Ship Recycling Regulation,” the Department noted.
This regulation aims to prevent, reduce and minimise accidents, injuries and other negative effects on human health and the environment when recycling ships.
The Department added that recycling of the FPSO accounts for less than 2% of the overall cost of the Northern Endeavour decommissioning programme.
Australia is keen to generate work and opportunities for its domestic industry arising from the growth of the decommissioning sector.
“While the FPSO recycling will happen overseas, there will be ongoing opportunities for Australian industry involvement in the Northern Endeavour decommissioning programme,” the Department statement noted.
Procurement opportunities for the remaining work, on Phases 2 and 3, will be available to local firms.
Phase 2 focuses on permanently plugging the Laminaria and Corallina wells, while Phase 3 focuses on removing remaining subsea infrastructure, recycling and waste management.
The FLNG Gimi by Golar LNG Limited has reached commercial operations date (COD) for the 20-year lease and operate agreement with bp for the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) project offshore Mauritania and Senegal
This marks a significant milestone for the project partners, as LNG production volumes have successfully been ramped up to a level equivalent to the annual contracted volumes of approximately 2.4 million tonnes per annum (mtpa), or around 90% of nameplate capacity of 2.7mtpa.
The achievement of COD follows first LNG in February and the first LNG cargo in April. The second and third LNG cargo were exported in May and early June respectively and a fourth cargo is currently loading. The fifth cargo is expected at the start of the third quarter. With this expected cargo timing, Kosmos Energy forecasts 3.5 gross cargos in the second quarter.
Achieving COD and the recent ramp up in cargo lifting activity highlights continued strong cooperation between the project partners and Golar.
The Centre for Decommissioning Australia (CODA) has launched three Special Interest Groups (SIGs) on hazardous materials management, well abandonment and decommissioning project management to support industry and stakeholder collaboration on priority decommissioning challenges and opportunities.
Established in response to industry feedback, these inaugural SIGs are designed to provide a forum to deepen engagement across the sector and support knowledge sharing, capability development, and integrated approaches. Each group is guided by a committee drawn from industry participants, and supported by a CODA representative. Meetings are held approximately every two months and focus on reviewing developments in the SIGs' focus areas, sharing insights, and identifying opportunities for collaboration.
The SIGs are as follows:
Focusing on best-practice hazardous materials management and lifecycle approaches to contaminants commonly encountered during decommissioning. The group will work to strengthen links between operators, the supply chain, regulators, and industry bodies, while promoting education, sharing of experience, and diverse perspectives.
Promoting safety, innovation, and efficiency in support of sustainable, world-class well P&A operations in both onshore and offshore contexts. Current areas of focus include:
• Improved approaches to regulator engagement and barrier technology qualification
• Establishing an independent industry body that can act as a conduit for and accelerator of new ideas and alternative approaches
• Alignment of offshore and onshore industry sectors to foster cross-learning and explore lower cost verification and testing environments
• Broader knowledge sharing and stakeholder engagement
Exploring challenges and opportunities in planning and executing decommissioning projects, drawing from global and local experience. Focus areas include:
• Benchmarking cost and schedule
• Contracting strategy
• Risk management and regulatory engagement
• Approaches to managing decommissioning market volatility
Membership is currently open to personnel from all CODA Partners, with several organisations already involved.
Full-cycle energy services expert Expro Group is collecting orders from the growth and evolution of southeast Asia’s oil and gas industry.
In a recent presentation, it confirmed that it had secured a three-year contract in Indonesia worth around US$15mn for combined electric line cased hole and slickline services on a single unit across 315 wells.
Separately, it has secured a two-year contract valued over US$8mn in Brunei to deliver well metering services for a client’s production assets.
This agreement, which commenced in February 2025, underscores Expro’s role in enhancing its client’s reservoir and facility management through advanced well flow measurement solutions, such as QPulseTM, Sonar Meter and Multiphase Flow Meters, the company noted.
In the group’s first quarter 2025 results, Expro CEO Michael Jardon said his company is “well-positioned” for the remainder of the year and said he remains “optimistic” about the outlook for more business over the next several years.
The first quarter delivered a solid performance in a “dynamic operating environment”, the company reported, with total global revenues hitting US$391mn.
The company is due to host a conference call on July 29, 2025 to discuss results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025.
China’s coiled tubing market is expanding rapidly, highlighting growing demand for specialist well services in a country with huge oil and gas production and sustained energy demand.
In 2024 alone, over 15,000 coiled tubing interventions were performed across the country, according to the Intervention & Coiled Tubing Association (ICoTA), “placing China at the forefront globally and highlighting the enormous potential of this dynamic market.”
The association recently participated at the inaugural International Symposium on Coiled Tubing Technology in Wuhan after re-establishing its China chapter, a recognition of the country’s growing importance to global energy markets and in the evolution of advanced well technologies.
The recent symposium centred on the theme of ‘Innovative Application Scenarios, Unleashing Infinite Potential, and Sharing the Development in the Coiled Tubing Industry’.
“This conference embodies the spirit of ‘technology-driven innovation and win-win cooperation’— setting the stage for the new ICoTA chapter to foster international collaboration and advancements in the coiled tubing sector,” the association noted in a statement.
The symposium was co-hosted by China Petroleum Engineering & Technology Co., Ltd (CPET), National Engineering Research Centre for Oil & Gas Drilling and Completion Technologies, National R&D Centre for Intelligent Oil & Gas Well Engineering, the Coiled Tubing Engineering Committee of the Chinese Petroleum Society, and the CNPC Coiled Tubing Operations Technology R&D Centre.
Co-organisers included oil and gas heavyweights such as CNPC, Sinopec, CNOOC, Halliburton, Schlumberger, Baker Hughes, as well as various renowned universities.
Areas covered during the forum included cutting-edge topics such as ultra-deep and long horizontal well coiled tubing operations, coiled tubing digitalisation, coiled tubing drilling, coiled tubing logging and offshore applications.
Among these, a session on coiled tubing digitalisation drew widespread attention, reflecting the industry’s strong momentum toward intelligent intervention technologies.
During the symposium, Steve Moir, Global Chair of ICoTA, delivered a keynote presentation and officially announced the establishment of ICoTA China, which will be led by CPET.
He also pointed out that the future development of coiled tubing technology will primarily focus on intelligent operations, enhanced adaptability to extreme conditions and deep integration with the energy transition.
Exail, a global leader in inertial navigation technologies, has been awarded a contract by Brazilian offshore services company Mitang to deliver 30 Quadrans Attitude and Heading Reference Systems (AHRS) to be installed on Petrobras FPSOs operating off the coast of Brazil.
The Quadrans AHRS provides real-time measurements of pitch, roll, and heading, essential for monitoring platform stability and ensuring safe, uninterrupted operations during complex offshore activities, including in areas where GNSS coverage may be limited or intermittent. Its robust, maintenance-free design delivers dependable performance in harsh marine environments, supporting operational continuity and helping to reduce lifecycle costs. In addition, the system’s fast start-up capability allows for rapid deployment and swift recovery following power cycles or system interruptions, further enhancing offshore efficiency.
Quadrans AHRS will deliver high accuracy and reliability for Petrobras FPSOs, enhancing platform stability, reducing downtime, and enabling safer, more efficient offshore operations.
“This collaboration with Exail reinforces our commitment to operational excellence and safety in Brazil’s offshore sector, said Diego Fernandes, CEO of Mitang. By integrating Quadrans technology on Petrobras FPSOs, we are enhancing real-time monitoring capabilities that are critical for managing complex rig moves with greater confidence and precision."
“We are honoured to contribute to this important project with Mitang and Petrobras, said Thiago Montanari, sales director at Exail. Our Quadrans AHRS exemplifies cutting-edge innovation in offshore navigation, delivering reliable, maintenance-free performance that supports the highest standards of safety and operational efficiency in challenging marine environments.”
JDR Cable Systems, a leading global supplier and service provider of subsea cables and part of the TFKable Group, has secured a major service contract from Indian engineering giant Larsen & Toubro (L&T) for offshore operations in the Middle East.
Under the agreement, JDR will conduct testing on 14 umbilical cables across multiple offshore platforms, focusing on the critical hydraulic and electrical control systems that underpin platform safety and performance.
The work scope includes pre-deployment testing, continuous monitoring during the cable-laying process, and integration testing to ensure the umbilicals operate reliably throughout the installation. Offshore technicians, equipment, and dedicated technical support will be provided by JDR to guarantee proper oversight of the cables at every stage.
The project will be coordinated from JDR’s UK service centre in Newcastle, with a specialist team rotating offshore for multiple mobilisations to ensure the safe and efficient delivery of the work scope.
Alan Combe, Service Sales Manager EMEA at JDR, said, “Securing this contract reflects the strength of our service offering and the capability of our team to deliver technically complex service work in the Middle East. It’s an exciting region, full of opportunity and innovation, and an important part of JDR’s long-term focus. We’re looking forward to working closely with the L&T team throughout the installation and testing phases.”
“The Middle East continues to present strong opportunities for JDR, both for our subsea cables and our service offering,” said Carl Pilmer, Chief Sales Officer at JDR. “As we consolidate our presence in the Middle East, this project is a good example of how we’re supporting customers in the region with reliable and high-quality delivery.”
JDR Cable Systems, part of the TFKable Group, is a global leader in subsea power cable and umbilical system solutions for the offshore oil, gas, and renewables sectors. With over 30 years of technical expertise, JDR designs, manufactures, installs, and supports high-quality, reliable systems backed by 24/7 service across the product lifecycle. Its parent company, TFKable Group, headquartered in Poland, is a major global cable manufacturer with a diverse portfolio of 25,000 cable types sold in 80 countries, supported by extensive European production facilities and a strong commitment to sustainable growth.
Brunei hopes to complete the first stage of a new decommissioning hub during 2025, after initial foundation works commenced earlier this year.
The nation’s first integrated marine maintenance and decommissioning yard is being put together by Anson International Sdn Bhd, which groups Qaswa Holdings of the Adinin Group, CessCon Decom of the UK and Korea’s Dongil Shipyard Co. Ltd.
The project also has the backing of the Ministry of Finance & Economy, Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB) and Brunei Shell Petroleum Co. Sdn. Bhd.
Located at Pulau Muara Besar, Brunei’s first commercial integrated decommissioning and marine maintenance yard will first service domestic demand, then wider regional demand.
It will see the creation of a 16-acre integrated yard and initially support Brunei’s own ambitious decommissioning efforts.
Brunei is home to some of the oldest oil and gas infrastructure anywhere in the Asia Pacific region, with 214 offshore platforms and over 1,400 wells.
By offering decommissioning services along with marine maintenance, repair and overhaul, the aim of the new yard is to retain and generate in-country value for Brunei as it phases out some of its ageing hydrocarbon infrastructure.
The yard’s operation is expected to create more than a hundred direct jobs, with Anson International offering apprenticeships and overseas training with CessCon Decom and Dongil for local staff.
Beacon Offshore Energy's Shenandoah floating production system in the Gulf of America is being served by Danos Operations Services via a contract signed by the partners.
The production services contract will be delivered by a team of production operators, instrumentation and electrical technicians, mechanics, and offshore installation managers. Several employees began work on the platform in 2024.
“We are honoured to support Beacon Offshore Energy with production services,” said CEO Paul Danos. “Danos is a people-focused company, and we’re proud to introduce our new partner to the high-performing employees and strong customer service that define our team.”
In the final stages of hook-up with production expected later this summer, the Shenandoah facility boasts of a nameplate capacity of 120,000 barrels of oil per day. Located approximately 230 miles from New Orleans, the project represents a major investment in the future of US offshore production.
Founded in 1947, Danos started out as a small tugboat company, gradually expanding its services with the evolving offshore industry, now employing about 1,300 production services personnel in the Gulf of America. Its comprehensive suite of services include production, supply chain and energy systems. It delivers fabrication, construction, coatings and other project services as well.
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Experts from law firm Pinsent Masons have highlighted the challenges and opportunities arising from decommissioning activities in Australia.
Senior Associate Angus Frean, an energy and infrastructure specialist said, “Offshore decommissioning campaigns are incredibly complex.
“They involve lining up availability of highly specialised vessels, specialist subcontractors and equipment and port access while also navigating the logistical issues arising from the vast distances involved and work constraints arising from offshore conditions.
“Any disruption on a decommissioning campaign is likely to result in significant delays and, potentially, be very costly.”
The infrastructure can also be a long way offshore, increasing the risk of bringing contaminants from those areas back and potentially harming the fragile Australian ecosystem.
In contrast, leaving equipment or infrastructure offshore requires consideration of the environmental impact that degradation of equipment and infrastructure can have over time.
Partner Florence Riviere, an expert in planning and environment law at Pinsent Masons, speaking at the recent D&A AUS 2025 conference, said, “Research and data of environmental impacts in Australian waters is still in its infancy, but it is a constantly changing landscape, with an increased interest and awareness about the environmental impact of offshore projects, including because of an increase in offshore wind projects.
“Environmental approvals for major offshore projects are likely to be under increasingly greater scrutiny, with further challenges to environmental approvals anticipated,” she said.
“It is essential that environmental plans and assessments, including consultation, are undertaken comprehensively and exhaustively, with an eye on recent legal and scientific developments.”
You can see the full article at: https://www.pinsentmasons.com/out-law/news/decommissioning-in-australia
Southeast Asia's mature sandstone reservoirs face economic challenges in hydrocarbon extraction. Sand control impacts asset deliverability, while regional initiatives aim to create a sustainable, locally empowered oil and gas industry for energy security and growth.
3M and PT Pipa Mas Putih are collaborating to address sand control challenges by manufacturing 3M™ Ceramic Sand Screens in Indonesia, aiming to enhance hydrocarbon extraction and regional capabilities.
Independent oil and gas company, Perenco, has recently commissioned a floating LNG (FLNG) vessel to advance gas commercialisation offshore Gabon while also repurposing flared gas
In line with Gabon's first large-scale gas development, this is a flagship project in the Cap Lopez LNG terminal that is set to come online in 2026.
The FLNG is currently undergoing construction in Dubai as it promises to reach a capacity of 700,000 tons of LNG and 25,000 tons of LPG anually, backed by storage infrastructure capable of holding 137,000 cu/m.
This US$2bn project is being supported by Perenco's affiliate Dixstone under a contract with engineering and construction company, Technomak, for the integration of the offshore FLNG barge.
The Cap Lopez project will significantly contribute to Perenco's natural gas strategy, while also serving as a means for energy diversification and larger economic growth of the country. It will also ensure energy security and industrialisation.
This development moves alongside Perenco's major optimisation project in the Republic of Congo as well. The company has initiated the construction of the Kombi 2 platform on the Kombi-Likalala-Libondo II permit. Amounting to more than US$200mn, the project will see new drilling phases, infrastructure upgrades and the optimisation of existing wells.
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