Contractors to bid to execute decommissioning activities for Esso Australia Gippsland Basin facilities

MELBOURNE, Australia – Esso Australia Pty Ltd (‘Esso Australia’, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil Australia Pty Ltd and operator of the Gippsland Basin Joint Venture) announced today that following the completion of a successful technical tender, bids are now open to execute decommissioning activities for a number of facilities within the Gippsland Basin.

Heavy lift contractors will propose ways to complete the offshore removal, transportation and onshore recycling and disposal efforts, as requested by Esso Australia, the operator of some of the country’s most mature oil and gas fields.

“The technical tender completed at the end of last year was a successful process which allowed us to assess a variety of ways in which the complex task of decommissioning offshore facilities could be undertaken,” said ExxonMobil Australia Chair, Dylan Pugh.

“We’re excited to now move onto this next phase of decommissioning, where we will commence the commercial tender process to better understand how activities could be completed safely, whilst meeting both regulator and community expectations. After assessment, we will award contracts by early 2024.”

“We are committed to meeting stakeholder consultation requirements as we continue to progress work efforts across multiple work fronts,” Mr Pugh continued.

Esso Australia has completed almost $1 billion of early decommissioning works over the last five years in Bass Strait. This includes the plug and abandonment of 88 wells offshore using two platform-based rigs, as well as a Multi-Purpose Support Vessel and a semi-submersible rig which is set to arrive later this year.

Three subsea facilities, Seahorse, Blackback and Tarwhine, have now successfully been removed, whilst plug and abandonment has been completed on Whiting, Kingfish B, Mackerel and Fortescue.

-ENDS-

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About the Gippsland Basin Joint Venture

ExxonMobil subsidiary Esso Australia Pty Ltd operates the Gippsland Basin Joint Venture on behalf of a 50-50 joint venture with Woodside Energy Ltd and Esso Australia Resources Pty Ltd.