Enhancing marine ecosystems through offshore decommissioning

Through NERA's funding, industry support and driven by Subcon's innovative technology and experience in subsea hydrodynamics and marine asset stabilisation, Exmouth Integrated Artificial Reef project, also known as the 'rigs to reef' project, is unlike any other. 

NERA worked with project partners Subcon, Curtin University, BHP and RecFishwest to develop the special combination of materials that make up the reef design. 

What makes this project so unique is the reef is partially made up of repurposed offshore structures from the oil and gas industry. 

The Exmouth Integrated Artificial Reef, named ' The King Reef' by the Exmouth community, was installed in the waters of the Exmouth Gulf in July 2018 and is the largest purpose-built reef in the Southern Hemisphere and the first of its kind in Australia.

The success of the King Reef project has raised Subcon's profile as a world leader not just in reef construction, but in building up Australia's decommissioning capabilities and further integrating them into domestic and global supply chains.

Check out our video case study below to find out more about the project, or read the full project summary here.