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ESG Poster ESG10: Key lessons in planning for proactive decommissioning – a review of the Thevenard Island decommissioning project

Michael B. Boisvert A *
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A Chevron Australia Pty Ltd, 256 St Georges Terrace, Perth, WA 6000, Australia.

* Correspondence to: bois@chevron.com

The APPEA Journal 62 - https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ21435
Published: 3 June 2022

Abstract

Poster ESG10

Chevron Australia Pty Ltd (CAPL) has operated an oil and gas production facility on Thevenard Island (TVI), a gazetted Nature Reserve, since 1988 on behalf of the TVI Joint Venture. CAPL is currently decommissioning the asset following cessation of production in 2014. Decommissioning activities include plugging and abandonment of onshore and offshore production wells, decommissioning onshore infrastructure and facilities, decommissioning offshore platforms and pipelines, and remediating and rehabilitating the terrestrial environment. CAPL is currently undertaking decommissioning and retirement of its facilities on TVI, including remediation and rehabilitation activities. CAPL is committed to progressing the decommissioning and rehabilitation activities in a timely manner to deliver positive outcomes for environment, local community and other users of TVI. Delivering on historical commitments and applying best practice to ensure the lease area can be relinquished as a functioning and sustainable ecosystem is key to being a responsible operator and maintaining social licence to operate. This paper will provide an overview of decommissioning activities and progress to date, with a focus on onshore operations, and discuss challenges encountered as well as lessons learnt from decommissioning planning and sequencing, implementation of the regulatory framework and in-field execution.

To access the poster click the link on the right. To read the full paper click here

Keywords: care and maintenance, cessation of production, decommissioning, hazardous materials, HSE risk management, infrastructure removal, investigations, learning culture, planning, proactive, regulatory approvals, rehabilitation, remediation, retirement, sequencing, stakeholders, Thevenard Island, waste, well plug and abandonment.

Michael Boisvert received a Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Science (Biology) with Honours from Curtin University in 1997. Michael started his professional career work in the mining and exploration industry as an Environmental Officer in Western Australian Eastern woodlands and focused on mine site decommissioning planning and execution. In 2001 Michael moved to consulting where he focused on mine site rehabilitation monitoring and closure planning for mines in the Goldfields and Pilbara. In 2004 Michael started as an Environmental Specialist with Chevron Australia on Barrow Island where a large focus was on rehabilitation and contaminated site remediation. He spent 3 years in California as a Project Manager for Chevron’s Environmental Management Company undertaking facility decommissioning and well abandonment. After moving back to Western Australia, he has worked in both decommissioning and operations and is now the Onshore Project Engineer managing the Rehabilitation and Remediation for the Thevenard Island Retirement Project.