ABL has been appointed by Esso Australia Resources, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, to support a major offshore decommissioning campaign in Australia’s Bass Strait.

The work covers marine warranty survey services for the first phase of the Gippsland decommissioning campaign. The project involves assets operated by Esso as part of the Gippsland Basin joint venture.

The campaign includes the offshore removal of up to 12 platforms. Preparations are well advanced, while a wider offshore lifting program to remove up to 13 platforms is scheduled to begin in 2027. The work will use Allseas’ heavy-lift vessel Pioneering Spirit.

Under the contract, ABL will conduct suitability surveys to confirm the proposed marine spread. It will also review and approve technical decommissioning documents. The company’s scope includes attendance at warranted offshore operations to confirm that work is carried out safely and in line with approved procedures.

Adam Solomons, East Coast Manager at ABL Australia, said the project is a landmark for Australia’s offshore sector, with complex marine operations covering offshore lifting, transport and discharge of large assets that are up to 50 years old. He said ABL’s decommissioning track record and offshore Australia experience support its role in helping Esso reduce risk and improve operations.

The Bass Strait assets include about 400 wells, six subsea facilities, more than 800 km of subsea pipelines and 19 platforms. Esso plans to carry out the first Bass Strait decommissioning campaign after more than 50 years of energy production for Australia.

The program is expected to remove about 60,000 tonnes of offshore structures. It also targets recycling of more than 95% of recovered materials, making the campaign an important step for Australia’s offshore decommissioning and circular economy plans.

The Australian award follows another recent marine warranty survey role for ABL Energy & Marine Consultants Brasil, which was selected to support Subsea7’s offshore work in Brazil.