PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The federal government on Monday said that the decommissioning of the Northern Endeavour floating production storage and offtake facility had reached a significant milestone with contractor Petrofac Facilities Management taking operational control of the facility.
Petrofac was earlier this year awarded a A$325-million contract to deliver Phase 1 of the decommissioning, which will see the Northern Endeavour disconnected from the subsea equipment, and temporary suspension of wells.
The federal government has been responsible for maintaining the Northern Endeavour and associated subsea facilities since February 2020 after its owners, the Northern Oil and Gas Australia (NOGA) group of companies, were placed in liquidation. The Northern Endeavour stopped producing oil in 2019.
“The Australian government remains committed to the successful decommissioning of the Northern Endeavour, the removal of infrastructure and the remediation of the Laminaria and Corallina oil fields,” Resources and Northern Australia Minister Madeleine King said.
“Petrofac taking operational control is a significant step in the decommissioning process.
“The government will work closely with Petrofac and regulators to ensure the safety of workers on the Northern Endeavour, and to protect the environment.”
Federal Parliament earlier this year passed legislation to impose a temporary levy on industry to recover the costs of decommissioning and remediating the oilfields and associated infrastructure, delivering on the government’s commitment to ensure Australian taxpayers aren’t left footing the bill.