ExxonMobil has announced their Decommissioning Project for South Gippsland: a plan to partially remove 13 decaying gas rigs from Bass Strait and break them apart amongst the RAMSAR listed wetlands of Corner Inlet. All of the removed materials - 60,000 tonnes in total - would be then trucked along the single lane, winding South Gippsland Highway. The local community knows that Barry Beach is not the place for this sort of industrial activity and FoE stands alongside them in advocating for responsible recycling of Exxon's rigs.

The Barry Beach decommissioning project #1 is a plan to remove the topsides of up to 13 retired gas rigs, 2 concrete monotowers, and the top 55m of 10 steel pile jackets, leaving the remaining steel jackets and pipelines in situ. They intend to transport the retired infrastructure through the Corner Inlet shipping channel to be disassembled at their Barry Beach terminal. 

We believe Barry Beach Marine Terminal is not an appropriate location for rig decommissioning. Instead a dedicated facility should be built in an established industrial area, to standards reflecting international best practice. The facility should be close to essential infrastructure such as waste facilities and transport, and service the decommissioning needs of all fossil fuel companies, not just ExxonMobil.

We also call for all offshore infrastructure, including pipeline, to be removed from the Bass Strait in line with the OPGGS act.

The Australian decommissioning industry is in its infancy and whatever decision is made in Victoria will set the precedent for the rest of the country.

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