Esso Australia progressing Bass Strait P&A campaign

Esso Australia has issued updates on its decommissioning program for its Bass Strait offshore production facilities in southeastern Australia.

To date, the company has installed 19 offshore platforms that have produced oil and gas since the late 1960s. Six of the facilities currently supply gas to the local domestic market.

While investments continue to sustain gas supplies from the Bass Strait into the 2030s, the other 13 offshore facilities are being decommissioned. Recently the company contracted various offshore mobile assets for this campaign, including the Valaris 107 jackup.

To date, more than $2 billion in decommissioning work has been completed in the Bass Strait, including plugging and abandonment (P&A) of more than 200 wells.

Some of the platforms have up to 37 wells, others only a few. Following P&A, maintenance work includes cleaning and disconnecting all pipelines from the platform being decommissioned.

The company said it has invested more than $2.5 billion in early decommissioning work, including permanent P&A of more than 200 wells, and that work will continue through 2027.

At that point, removal of the platforms should be ready to begin, followed by transportation to the shore for dismantling and recycling.

Allseas’ Pioneering Spirit is contracted to cut, lift and transfer the topsides and jackets onto barges for delivery to the Barry Beach Marine Terminal.