Tuesday 6 August 2024

Support arrives for Australia’s offshore decommissioning sector

Logistics management company ASCO will support Australia's offshore decommissioning sector with new contract

Logistics management company ASCO have signed a contract with a carbon neutral port, Onslow Marine Support Base (OMSB) in Western Australia to support the offshore decommissioning sector.

The decommissioning of offshore oil and gas infrastructure requires extensive planning, approval, removals and disposal of materials.

According to the Australian Government, AUD$60 billion (£30 billion) of offshore decommissioning activity is expected to occur in Australia over the next 30 to 50 years.

As part of the contract, ASCO sent two radiation safety officers (RSOs) as well as NORM (Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material) and mercury monitoring equipment to the port.

The RSOs ensured that supervised areas were set up correctly and any contaminated materials were properly managed and contained.

They checked OMSB's management plans and risk assessments, ensuring radiation management and site safety were up to date.

OMSB chief operating officer, Andre Veder said: 'At OMSB we believe all parts of the supply chain supporting the offshore decommissioning sector requires a robust focus on safety, efficiency and compliance. As part of this, OMSB proactively holds a range of licences including a radiation licence and associated management plan.

'To drive an effective and compliant outcome for the receival, handling and storage of potentially radioactive items, OMSB selected ASCO as its radiation specialist. ASCO’s international experience with radioactive items has allowed projects undertaken to appropriately manage the risks while not impacting the schedule of the works.'

The project was led by senior RSOs John Davidson and Robin Small, who together have 25 of experience in the field.