The End of an Era: Decommissioning the Northern Endeavour in the Timor Sea

A 26-Year Legacy Unmoored

The floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel Northern Endeavour is undergoing a meticulous decommissioning process in the Timor Sea, marking the end of its 26-year connection to the Corallina and Laminaria oilfields. Located 550 km northwest of Darwin, Australia, the operation is a high-stakes engineering feat—one that balances environmental safeguards with the technical complexities of dismantling offshore infrastructure.

“This isn’t just about disconnecting a ship; it’s about untangling decades of industrial presence from the seabed,” says a Wood project lead.

Phase 1, completed in April 2025, saw the FPSO severed from its subsea lifelines: eight risers and umbilical pipelines that once fed oil to the vessel. The Skandi Hercules, a specialized offshore construction vessel, executed the cuts alongside Petrofac Facilities Management, which was contracted in 2022 to mitigate risks of oil leakage from the 274-meter-long FPSO. The risers were carefully lowered to the seabed, a temporary measure until full extraction.

Moorings, Wells, and the Long Road Ahead

Nine hefty mooring chains still tether the Northern Endeavour to the ocean floor. Their removal, slated for late 2025, will free the vessel for its final journey. But the real challenge lies in the subsequent phases. Phase 2 will permanently seal the wells, while Phase 3 involves stripping the seabed of infrastructure and remediating the field—a process overseen by Australia’s Department of Industry, Science, Energy, and Resources (DISER).

“Decommissioning isn’t a demolition. It’s a surgical reversal of industrial footprint,” notes an Xodus advisor.

The project, expected to span years, underscores the growing global focus on offshore decommissioning as aging oilfields reach their operational limits. For the Timor Sea, it’s a milestone—one that closes a chapter on fossil fuel extraction while testing the limits of marine engineering.