The FPSO has now been disconnected and towed to Singapore for the next phase of work. It left the oil fields on 24 September following extensive hull cleaning and work to disconnect it from the seabed.
Australian industry has led works on the Northern Endeavour decommissioning program to date.
A team of specialist divers used high pressure water jets to clean the hull. An underwater remote operated vehicle worked to disconnect the FPSO. This included trimming sections of the riser pipes known as ‘tails’ and cutting the mooring chains that held the FPSO in place.
While in Singapore, the vessel will undergo further work to remove sections and strengthen and repaint the hull for its further journey to Denmark.
Breaking down and recycling the vessel itself represents only 1 to 2% of the total work associated with decommissioning the Northern Endeavour.
There will be ongoing opportunities for domestic industry involvement in the Northern Endeavour decommissioning program.
We’ve released a request for tender (RFT) on AusTender for a lead contractor to deliver phase 2 of the program to permanently plug and abandon the wells.
We’ll also release more procurement opportunities for future decommissioning phases to remove the subsea infrastructure and manage the waste streams.
Strict conditions are in place on all Northern Endeavour decommissioning works to ensure the safety of workers and protection of the marine environment.
A temporary industry levy on offshore petroleum production funds Northern Endeavour decommissioning.