ExxonMobil plans more Australian GBJV decommissioning

ExxonMobil plans significant decommissioning work from 2027 at its Gippsland Basin joint venture (GBJV) oil- and gas-producing venture offshore Victoria, with it filing plans to decommission its steel piled jacket producing platforms covering around 10 fields.

The fields covered include [Halibut](https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/1258010), Fortescue, Cobia, Mackerel, Kingfish A and Kingfish B, West Kingfish, Flounder, Bream and Whiting, which are located 33-77km off the Victoria coastline, said ExxonMobil in its environmental plan filed with Australia's offshore regulator the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environment Management Authority.

The proposed decommissioning work does not include work for other types of oil- and gas-producing infrastructure such as pipelines and concrete gravity structure platforms, which will be done at a later date, said ExxonMobil, which owns 50pc of GBJV. The other half is owned by Australian independent Woodside Energy following its takeover of the petroleum arm of BHP.

The GBJV production network comprises 421 wells, 19 offshore platforms and five sub-sea facilities interconnected by over 800km of pipelines. The plan to decommission former producing facilities at east Australia's largest offshore gas- and oil-producing fields comes at a time when there are warnings of gas shortfalls in east Australia next year.

ExxonMobil has been producing oil and gas in the Gippsland basin since 1969 and has supplied over 50pc of Australia's crude and liquids and more than 40pc of east Australia's natural gas, the company said. GBJV currently has 10 producing platforms, three sub-sea facilities and 16 pipelines, with about half of all wells drilled no longer producing oil and gas, it said.

By Kevin Morrison