The Wilderness Society condemns regulator’s failure on offshore oil and gas clean-up

The Wilderness Society has strongly criticised the decision by National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) not to require the full removal of disused offshore oil and gas platforms in an Environment Plan approved on Friday 1 May, warning it represents a serious failure of regulatory responsibility.

NOPSEMA’s decision to allow partial removal at this stage delays critical decommissioning work that is already decades overdue. By not mandating full removal now, the regulator risks locking in years of further delays, increasing environmental, safety and financial risks.

Experience in Australia and globally shows that postponing decommissioning makes projects significantly more dangerous, technically complex and costly, while heightening the risk of environmental damage in sensitive marine ecosystems such as the Bass Strait.

Legal advice obtained and released by The Wilderness Society confirms that full removal of these offshore structures is required under Australia’s existing international obligations.

The platforms in question are operated by global fossil fuel companies ExxonMobil and Woodside Energy.

Fern Cadman Fossil Fuel Industry Campaigner, Wilderness Society said:

“The Wilderness Society is appalled that NOPSEMA continues to allow global gas giants ExxonMobil and Woodside to delay major decommissioning works. From top to bottom, these platforms should be being removed now, while the world’s most suitable speciality vessel is already on site.

“NOPSEMA’s failure to require full removal now is galling. These companies have always known clean up was coming. They’ve had five years already since directed by NOPSEMA to plan for the work, and now want until 2032 to plan removal of the lower platform sections.  ExxonMobil and Woodside are kicking the can down the road in the hope of avoiding the removal of this vast quantity of steel, and NOPSEMA is letting them get away with it.” 

“The Wilderness Society is calling on NOPSEMA to urgently enforce full removal requirements, ensuring oil and gas companies meet their legal obligations and do not leave a legacy of pollution in Australian waters.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

• Legal advice by Donald Rothwell, commissioned by The Wilderness Society, finds that disused offshore oil and gas infrastructure must be fully removed under applicable legal frameworks.
• Previous statements from The Wilderness Society on Bass Strait decommissioning highlight concerns about delays and environmental risks associated with partial removal proposals