Vertech’s V-COMM Decommissioning Package was formed to support the full decommissioning cycle. Providing a collection of specialist services, systems, processes, and products, Vertech’s experts will work alongside each client to achieve environmental & safety excellence, reduce cost through efficiency, and exceed all regulatory requirements.
The Australian offshore petroleum industry has existed since the early 1960s. As the sector matures, more offshore petroleum projects across the APAC region are reaching the end of their productive lives. A substantial number of the approximately 136 fixed facilities (including pipelines) is anticipated to commence decommissioning activities in the coming decade.
Each piece of infrastructure can present its own unique decommissioning challenges due to the combination of infrastructure type and its location in the surrounding environment.
The foundations of a successful decommissioning project are built through detailed planning and early engagement with regulatory bodies and specialist contractors relevant to each phase of the decommissioning cycle. This early engagement ensures a comprehensive and shared understanding of the specifics of the Well Management Plan (WMP), Field Management Plan (FMP), Environmental Plan (EP), and Safety Case (SC) and how this framework combined with the specific state regulatory requirements/bodies will impact each phase of the decommissioning cycle.
From environmental, topside and subsea engineering through to implementation management, Vertech Group has a wealth of experience and skills that can provide critical services throughout the comparative risk, cost, environmental and regulatory approval phases. Our team also have the understanding to most effectively utilise the tacit knowledge gained in these early stages, using it to improve the support, selection and implementation of the final decommissioning methodology.
Before the full decommissioning process can be undertaken, the platform, FPSO or asset must be prepared. This is a crucial preparatory phase in the decommissioning cycle. Vertech Group’s multi-disciplined, high-mobility inspection and maintenance teams can provide maximum value at this phase. For offshore platforms, the integrity of the infrastructure needs to be carefully surveyed and understood in anticipation of major lifting operations.
Simultaneously, the assessment, planning, and execution of major plant and machinery removal are required to ensure environmental protections are in place. When it comes to floating assets, major module lifts are unlikely, so the campaign’s principal focus shifts to hull structural integrity for towing operations, machinery removal, and disconnecting critical systems (electrical, hydraulic, etc.).
The topside and jacket removal is the largest cost and risk to the decommissioning cycle. Depending on the selected decommissioning methodology, almost two-thirds of the total costs can come from the removal. Having the right tooling and specialists to minimise delays and provide dynamic support is imperative.
FPSO disconnects are significantly quicker and have a lower risk and cost profile than platforms. The disconnect phase involves disconnecting the production risers, umbilicals, and mooring chains from the FPSO for its sail away, followed by carefully removing and disposing of the turret mooring system and subsea infrastructure.
Decommissioning activities are regulated through the submission and approval of revised Field Management Plans (FMP), Well Management Plans (WMP), Environment Plans (EP) and Safety Cases (SC). Our specialists work closely with the asset owner to plan and optimise environmental monitoring (particularly where infrastructure is partially commissioned or decommissioned in situ) to confirm that impacts have been reduced to ALARP. Through our subsidiaries in Geo Oceans, Vertech Group is able to offer asset-deployed or vessel-of-opportunity Mini-ROV systems and industry-leading Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) systems for detailed and comprehensive post-decommissioning monitoring.
Geo Oceans has set a new standard in survey efficiency and data quality by performing real-time data analysis and processing tasks in the field. Our ROV systems and towed cameras combine with our GO Visions™ software, allowing us to create fine-scale habitat maps across large areas far more accurately and efficiently than previously possible. The data collected will enable us to provide fish surveys with millimetre accuracy and bathymetry survey data for mapping marine habitats. Geo Oceans also combines a fleet of industry-leading light Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) technology, marine scientists, specialist tooling, sensors, and cutting-edge software to provide fully autonomous subsea post-decommissioning monitoring and survey packages.
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