Esso Australia, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil Australia, has hired Allseas for the removal of up to 12 retired oil and gas platforms from the Gippsland Basin in the Bass Strait, with a combined weight of approximately 60,000 tonnes.
Allseas’ removal scope – covering up to 12 topsides and up to 11 steel jackets – comes with an ambitious timeline, as the company aims to remove all the structures during a three to four-month long campaign starting late 2027.
The company will use its Pioneering Spirit construction vessel to leverage its single-lift technology for the job.
Once safely removed, the facilities will be transferred to barges or vessels for load-in to the Barry Beach Marine Terminal in Victoria for dismantling and recycling by a separate onshore contractor.
Work is already underway, with engineering and project management teams in Perth and Melbourne leading the planning and preparation effort, with specialist support from the company’s Delft and Kuala Lumpur offices.
“This landmark decommissioning project represents a significant milestone for Allseas in Australia. Over the past 20 years, we’ve built a strong track record delivering subsea pipelay and construction services for major greenfield projects in these waters. It’s an honour to now bring our expertise to the first removal of platforms of this scale from Australian waters,” said Evert van Herel, General Manager Allseas Australia.
