Joint statement on Australia-UK offshore decommissioning cooperation
A joint statement from the UK and Australia regarding a partnership agreement on offshore oil and gas decommissioning.
Australia and the United Kingdom have signed a partnership agreement to strengthen cooperation on offshore oil and gas decommissioning.
This new agreement will match 40 years of UK expertise in the North Sea with a burgeoning decommissioning services market in Australia. It builds upon the recently signed Australia-UK Climate and Energy Partnership which aims to support the economic resilience and decarbonisation goals of both countries.
The agreement will encourage cooperation in areas including supply chains, knowledge and skills, regulations, and financing. It will support engagement between UK and Australian businesses engaged in decommissioning.
The agreement will also establish a working group comprising of industry representatives, academic partners, and regulatory bodies to develop a collaborative framework and partnership programme.
The working group will identify viable decommissioning projects that would benefit from cooperation, delivering these in accordance with international quality and sustainability standards.
Through the identification of capability, equipment gaps and strengths, the group will also facilitate the sharing of decommissioning expertise between the two countries with knowledge transfer opportunities.
The agreement was signed by Australian Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia, Madeleine King, and the UK Minister for Services, Small Businesses and Exports, Gareth Thomas.