Soliman Hunter, T. (2023). Best practice for dismantling, recycling, and disposal of offshore petroleum structures. Centre for Energy and Natural Resources Innovation and Transformation (CENRIT), Macquarie University
This Macquarie University report by Professor Tina Soliman Hunter was one of the first pieces of work we commissioned, because we could see early on that what happens after offshore structures are brought back to shore could become a major choke point for decommissioning.
While the law is clear that oil and gas infrastructure must be removed, the report shows Australia is not properly set up for the next stage of breaking equipment down, recycling materials and safely disposing of hazardous waste.
It explains that onshore facilities, rules and responsibilities are patchy, inconsistent and well behind countries like Norway and the UK. The report warns that if these gaps aren’t fixed, decommissioning will be slower, more expensive and riskier, with growing pressure to dump material at sea or send waste overseas.
For us, it confirmed early that unless onshore dismantling and recycling is done properly, decommissioning will stall and workers, communities and the environment will bear the consequences.