Development of a Decommissioning Innovation and Technology Roadmap

The development of novel approaches or technologies for decommissioning, such as heavy or buoyancy lifts or Bismuth well plugs, holds potential to significantly innovate Australia’s approach to decommissioning. Development of these solutions will also support competitive advantage for Australia’s service sector.

The United Kingdom Oil and Gas Technology Centre has estimated that technology improvement can drive cost reductions in late-life management (10 per cent cost reduction), post-cessation operational expenditure (20 per cent cost reduction), innovative removal (20 per cent cost reduction) and optimised abandonment (35 per cent reduction in P&A costs).

CODA is seeking development of an innovation and technology roadmap which identifies key opportunities within the decommissioning work breakdown structure that would benefit from applying innovative approaches and technologies.

This project should identify the types of technologies and innovations that could assist with managing wells, jackets (and similar structures include topsides), FPSOs (and similar floating bodies and structures, e.g. RTMs) and subsea facilities (including pipelines, flexible flowlines, electric hydraulic umbilicals, manifolds and similar subsea structures) through both late life asset management and decommissioning.

The roadmap should consider existing capabilities within Australia and Australia's opportunities to develop local solutions, which might also service decommissioning activities within the South East Asian Region.

In summary, the roadmap will:

• In the context of the work breakdown structure for decommissioning activities, identify the areas of action that will most benefit from applying innovative approaches or technologies, taking into account work undertaken and findings from other jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom, the Gulf of Mexico and Norway.
• Identify local capabilities and the opportunities to develop innovations, technologies or other solutions within Australia. This work should also give consideration to the opportunity for Australia to export these products to service regional decommissioning needs

This project is being undertaken by Linch-pin.