Aberdeen-based Energy Consultancy Xodus Expands Role in Australian Decommissioning Program
In a significant development for environmental management in the energy sector, Xodus, an Aberdeen-based energy consultancy, has expanded its role in a decommissioning program in Australian waters. This initiative supports environmental approvals for the next stages in the removal of one of the country’s largest offshore oil field developments, notably the Laminaria-Corallina oil fields.
Xodus has confirmed its involvement in the environmental approvals for Phases 2 and 3 of the Northern Endeavour decommissioning program. This effort is managed by Australia’s Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR) and focuses on a staged decommissioning process of the Laminaria-Corallina oil fields, situated approximately 550 kilometers northwest of Darwin.
Phase 2 includes the permanent plugging and abandonment of the subsea wells, while Phase 3 targets the decommissioning and subsequent removal of the remaining subsea infrastructure. The consultancy’s responsibilities encompass a range of services: environmental impact assessments, support for EPBC Act approvals, oil spill modeling, GIS services, regulatory engagement, and implementation planning.
According to Carrie McIntosh, Xodus’s Late Life & Decommissioning Manager, “Northern Endeavour is one of the most significant decommissioning programs underway in Asia Pacific. Our team has been involved since Phase 1, and being trusted to lead environmental approvals through to completion speaks volumes about the quality of work we’ve delivered with DISR.”
The program’s first phase, now operationally complete, was focused on suspending wells, flushing subsea infrastructure, and the disconnection and towing of the FPSO Northern Endeavour. This facility, a 274-meter-long floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit, was permanently moored between the Laminaria and Corallina oil fields from 1999 to 2019, operating in the Timor Sea before its decommissioning.
The FPSO’s tenure included producing light crude oil from the Laminaria-Corallina fields, contributing to Australia’s energy landscape significantly for two decades. Phase 1 was wrapped up in April 2025, marking the severance of the FPSO from its subsea connections.
Xodus supported this initial phase via a team specializing in technical and project support services, delivering technical assurance and advisory support throughout the process. The company has also partnered with Elemental Consulting Services for the next two phases, leveraging the latter’s prior involvement in Phase 1. This collaboration is focused on ensuring continuity and utilizing the program knowledge garnered during the initial phase.