Decom Engineering (Decom) has strengthened its position in AsiaPac with the execution of three market entry Australian contracts worth in excess of £500,000.

The decommissioning specialist was commissioned to supply and operate its chopsaw cutting technologies on behalf of a major Operator in Victoria’s Bass Strait as well as contract awards from two other clients for scopes in Australian waters.

Decom performed three cuts on a 20’’ concrete weight coated carbon steel rigid pipeline and 25 cuts on a 13” in-filled flexible flow line jumper, with a 4.5’’ piggy back, using its C1-24 chopsaw at water depths of around 400m.

The C1-24 chopsaw was powered by a WROV using Decom-supplied hot stabs and only two blades were used throughout, showcasing the efficiencies and cost saving of the technology.

Another C1-24 chopsaw has recently been utilised on assets in Australia’s North West Shelf, operating at around 500m water depths.  

The Australian decommissioning sector is viewed as a strategic market by the UK-headquartered company which has so far invested up £500,000 in establishing infrastructure and relocating equipment and personnel to be reactive to local market demands.

Decom Engineering managing director, Sean Conway, said: 
“The award of these three contracts by major operators is a clear signal that our commitment to the Australian decommissioning sector is being rewarded.

“With the extensive track-record Decom has established on projects in the UK North Sea, Africa and Asia, we judged that now was the right time  for us to enter the Australian market and we are keen to be part of the sector’s journey to sustainability.”

In the wider AsiaPac market, Decom has invested upwards of £2 million to design and manufacture a nine-strong portfolio of chopsaws and supporting equipment, including control panels, spares and consumables, which have been used on successful projects throughout the region.

Sean Conway added: 
“We are excited to be kicking off three Australian projects in tandem and look forward to building a strong relationship with our customers. As our reputation grows, we will replicate our AsiaPac model by investing in facilities, equipment and personnel in Australia, to provide cutting edge technologies which will assist contractors and operators looking for cost effective and environmentally sound decommissioning solutions.”

In time, Decom also plans to introduce its Pipe Coating Removal (PCR) system to Australia to offer a full-service decommissioning option for redundant oil and gas steel pipes.

The fastest and greenest process on the market, the PCR strips steel tubulars of all coatings and transforms the pipe into a reusable product suitable for construction projects and other uses, while decreasing carbon footprint and returning value to the asset owner.

“To date our PCR system has processed more than 30,000 tonnes of steel tubulars from surplus prime and decommissioned oil and gas fields and we think that this is an offering which could introduce significant environmental and financial benefits to the massive Australian decommissioning sector,” said Conway.

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