Five in Five - CODA Q&A Part II

Our Five in Five Q&A series provides quickfire, engaging insights on topics that matter to our audience.

Here we continue our initial conversation with the Centre of Decommissioning Australia.

Q1. What are the current priorities or focus areas for CODA, and how are you helping members prepare for them? 

We are seeing a steady flow of projects being awarded against a backdrop of regulatory evolution. Consequently our focus areas are in building the industry to be able to execute the projects efficiently and safely while also working with the whole of industry to ensure everyone is able to understand the regulatory requirements.

Q2. What skills or capabilities does the Australian decom sector need to develop most urgently, and how is CODA helping address this? 

There are a couple of areas where not just Australia but much of the rest of the world is lacking in decommissioning. High on this list would be project management and associated planning skills.

Decommissioning is an incredibly complex and challenging field to manage, requiring different perspectives and skills to construction or maintenance work. Alongside this would be waste and hazardous materials management and well P&A. Identifying these areas led to the establishment of these three as our Special Interest Groups which are communities of practice for the sharing of insights.

Q3. With net zero commitments on the horizon, how can the decom sector contribute meaningfully, and what support do members need to demonstrate progress?

Decommissioning’s biggest contribution to Net Zero at the functional level is to execute the work safely and efficiently. Ensure wells are plugged for perpetuity from the first go, that recovered material is recycled or reused and that vessel and equipment movements are optimised.

Beyond this essential work decommissioning of wells is increasingly being executed with thoughts to the reuse of the fields for CCS, while still an emergent area, this is also something that will increasingly be part of decommissioning.

Q4. Can you share an example of a recent CODA initiative that has had a positive impact on members or the wider decom community?

There are several examples I can share here:

• Our introduction to decommissioning course has now had around 180 attendees over the three years we have run it - this is helping raise the level of knowledge in the industry

• Our special interest groups are bringing together passionate professionals to share and learn together

• The work we have completed in waste management is shining a light on best practice in the treatment and management of the many different waste streams developed through decommissioning

• Our port studies are helping industry and the community understand where we should look to execute the work as well as what best practice looks like for a disposal port.

Q5. How does CODA facilitate knowledge transfer from other regions (e.g., North Sea or Asia-Pacific) to help the Australian sector avoid “reinventing the wheel”?

Several years ago, decommissioning was very much the domain of a couple of regions. Since around the start of this decade that has shifted significantly as more and more regions have become active.

Consequently, we are seeing a significant acceleration of knowledge here in Australia, across the Asia Pacific region as well as South America.

The historically busy regions of North America and Europe are still the sources of much of the equipment and technology, but with more work happening outside those regions, the skills spread is becoming better and more diffuse.

Take a look at our other Q&As for more insights and updates!