The decommissioning of the Northern Endeavour floating production storage and offtake facility has reached a significant milestone with contractor Petrofac Facilities Management Limited taking operational control of the facility.

Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Madeleine King said Petrofac has begun Phase 1 of the decommissioning process, which will see the Northern Endeavour disconnected from subsea equipment, and the suspension of the oil wells.

The Northern Endeavour is moored in Commonwealth waters in the Timor Sea, between the Laminaria and Corallina oil fields. It stopped producing oil in 2019.

“The Australian Government remains committed to the successful decommissioning of the Northern Endeavour, the removal of infrastructure and the remediation of the Laminaria and Corallina oil fields,” Minister King said.

“Petrofac taking operational control is a significant step in the decommissioning process.

“The Government will work closely with Petrofac and regulators to ensure the safety of workers on the Northern Endeavour, and to protect the environment.”

A $325 million contract (excluding GST) with Petrofac was signed in March 2022 to deliver Phase 1 of the decommissioning project.

Petrofac Facilities Management Limited, now the registered operator of the Northern Endeavour, has extensive global experience in successfully leading and delivering large-scale and complex offshore decommissioning projects.

A temporary levy on offshore oil production is recovering the full costs of decommissioning and remediating the Laminaria and Corallina oil fields.

The Australian Government has maintained the Northern Endeavour and associated subsea facilities since February 2020 after the vessel’s owner was placed in liquidation.