How do you remove 23 offshore oil and gas rigs without hurting Gippsland’s fishing industry?

“I don't think when they put [the pipes down] in the 60s, they for a minute thought: ‘One day we've got to pull this out.’”

Jacob Wallace
February 12, 2026

There are 23 oil and gas rigs in the Bass Strait with over 600 kilometres of pipeline, and it’s all set to be removed as wells dry up and the country moves away from burning fossil fuels.

How these giant steel constructions are removed could have major impacts on the safety and profitability of Gippsland’s local fishing industry.

What can be done: The Victorian and federal government – as well as the companies that own these rigs – are currently trying to work out how to remove and dismantle tonnes of steel and pipes from the ocean without hurting local industries and the environment in the process.

What happened: A hearing was held by the Victorian government on Wednesday at Leongatha Memorial Hall focused on the concerns local stakeholders had about the decommissioning process.

State MPs listened to and queried presentations from oil and gas companies, South Gippsland council and industry leaders.

One of the speakers who presented at the hearing was Executive Officer of South East Trawl Fishing Industry Association, Simon Boag.

Boag told the Monitor removing rigs can lead to unknown obstacles on the sea floor if they’re not removed properly.

Gippsland beekeepers warn "total ecosystem collapse" is risking the habitat of local honey makers

“You can see extensive areas of alpine ash that have been burnt too frequently for them to be able to regenerate.”

Risky business: Boag said if the top of a rig is removed but the bottom remains, it essentially becomes an invisible risk to fishermen with potential for danger.

How does decommissioning work?

The federal government says the process of decommissioning involves securely plugging oil and gas wells and removing hundreds of kilometres of pipes and flow lines.

Steel structures with large production decks embedded in the sea floor need to be dismantled, and floating oil and gas production facilities and their anchors will need to be removed.

But some infrastructure, like old wellheads that can reach as high as 20 to 30 metres, might be left on the sea floor.

🗣️ “If you're a trail fishing vessel and you become stuck on that, you then have to undertake a whole bunch of manoeuvres to try and extract your net from the snag,” said Boag.“That can become quite dangerous and can result in the loss of the vessel, which is potentially life threatening.”

What’s the deal with the 345 kilometre cable set to be unspooled in the Bass Strait?

The $3.47 billion Marinus Link project aims to lower power bills and make electricity more reliable in Victoria and Tasmania.

Loss of fishing grounds: Boag said the industry's main concern was making sure the area they’re able to fish in the Bass Strait remains unchanged.

🗣️“If we lose access to our fishing grounds, fishermen have to go somewhere else. If they're not going to their preferred location, they are less profitable.”

Who owns the rigs?

The 23 platforms in the Bass Strait are jointly owned by ExxonMobil and Woodside Energy. On July 29 2025, Woodside announced an agreement with ExxonMobil to assume majority operatorship of the rigs.

In 2024, ExxonMobil reported it has already undertaken nearly $2 billion of early decommissioning works in Bass Strait, including plugging 150 of the over 400 wells in the area.