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In this issue of CODA Connect, we introduce our latest partners, provide an update from our CEO, welcome Rean Gilbert as our General Manager, open registrations to our May Intro to Decom course, share news from CODA Partners, and provide you the latest decommissioning research updates from the NDRI.
CODA's Growing Partner Network
We are proud to welcome a number of new organisations as part of our partnership program.
Join CODA’s Partnership Program
CODA’s Partnership Program is open to companies of all sizes in the decommissioning value chain. Our partners receive access to full versions of our Forward Outlook and Waste Facilities databases, reports, studies, their associated materials, and more.
Starting 2026 As We Hope To Go On
A NOTE FROM CODA CEO
FRANCIS NORMAN
2026 feels like it is getting off to a good, solid start for Australia’s decommissioning industry. Where in previous years it often felt like we were all learners on the decommissioning journey, as we ended 2025 and definitely now in early 2026, things feel more settled.
I started 2026 with a visit to Europe to attend the NPF Decommissioning Conference in Stavanger, Norway. While a relatively small gathering of around 170 people, it is one of the most open and honest decommissioning forums. It was apparent from presentations and conversations in the room that the North Sea is still a basin of contrasts. Norway sees its decommissioning not commencing for several more years as it continues to feed gas into Europe, while on the UK side of the North Sea there feels to me to be an ongoing level of confusion around their decommissioning timeline.
There are multiple competing pressures on the UK industry, where it is torn between life extension and MER on the one hand, and decommissioning assets that are no longer profitable on the other. As these are resolved over coming years, there will certainly be a lot of work in the North Sea, but for now, Australia remains the place to be.
Closer to home, CODA welcomed Rean Gilbert as our new General Manager. Please do look out for Rean at future events. We will also soon go live with an update to our Forward Outlook. This update captures all the changes to environmental plans up to mid-October 2025 and will be accessible to all CODA partners.
In the coming weeks, we will be releasing a significant report that looks at the regulatory landscape across Australia’s offshore decommissioning industry. It has been a long time in production, and I would like to thank everyone who was part of putting it together.
Wishing everyone a safe and productive next few months.
- Francis Norman, CEO & Managing Director
Partner Spotlight: Sentinel
Passive Monitoring for Subsea Well Integrity
Sentinel Subsea Ltd (Sentinel) has developed passive subsea integrity monitoring systems that help operators lower risk, reduce operating expenditure and protect the marine environment. Its core philosophy is to remove complexity from subsea monitoring by deploying remote systems that operate without active subsea power, routine intervention or ongoing data communication.
WellSentinel™ Continuous Subsea Monitoring
Since 2021, operators across the UK, Australia, Brazil, USA and Azerbaijan have adopted the WellSentinel™ system to address subsea well integrity requirements. The non-invasive solution provides continuous monitoring across the full subsea well lifecycle, from deepwater drilling and producing Christmas trees to suspended wells - supporting long-term field integrity strategies while reducing emissions, cost and personnel exposure.
WellSentinel™ operates using a specialised gathering system that directs any fluid release onto Sentinel’s proprietary Passive Trigger technology. The Trigger is engineered to detect oil, thermogenic gas or CO₂ and nothing else typically encountered in the subsea environment. If target fluids are detected, the system mechanically releases a uniquely coded alert beacon to the ocean surface. The beacon then transmits a satellite alert to the asset owner, enabling rapid and coordinated response.
SAFE Disc™ Emissions Detection
Building on this field-proven technology, Sentinel has developed SAFE Disc™, an at-source emissions characterisation tool that removes the need for subsea sampling and laboratory analysis. SAFE Disc™ visually indicates the presence of oil, thermogenic gas or CO₂ directly at the point of origin, accelerating root-cause analysis and informing remediation strategies.
Decommissioning and Late Life Asset Applications
Sentinel’s passive monitoring technologies play a critical role in supporting risk-based decommissioning strategies. By providing continuous assurance and enabling early detection of integrity challenges before escalation, WellSentinel™ allows operators to make evidence-based decisions around suspension, long-term monitoring and final abandonment.
During late-life operations and pre-plug and abandonment (P&A) phases, the system delivers continuous assurance while lowering vessel-based inspection campaigns and removing complex intervention, reducing decommissioning costs and offshore exposure. SAFE Disc™ further enhances decommissioning projects by enabling rapid at-source characterisation of any emissions, helping operators differentiate produced hydrocarbons and naturally occurring subsea emissions.
By reducing uncertainty, enabling earlier detection and providing long-term passive environmental assurance, Sentinel’s technologies help operators lower risk, optimise decommissioning timelines, minimise emissions and demonstrate responsible end-of-life asset stewardship.
More Information
For more information on the services Sentinel can provide, please visit their website.
Welcoming Rean Gilbert
We're excited to welcome Rean Gilbert to the CODA team as our General Manager.
Rean brings decades of experience across offshore decommissioning, regulatory approvals, and environmental stewardship, spanning industry, consulting, and government. With a strong academic foundation in marine science, she is recognised for her strategic leadership, stakeholder engagement, and ability to deliver credible, future-focused outcomes.
Rean will be working closely with operators, regulators, and researchers to strengthen Australia’s decommissioning capability and support safe, sustainable outcomes.
Intro to Decom Course Registrations Now Open
Registrations for our next Introduction to Decommissioning course, held on 6-7 May in Perth, are now open!
Our course introduces the decommissioning lifecycle from late-life planning through to execution and end state, with a focus on the offshore environment. It covers key areas such as legislation and the regulatory regime, environmental considerations, asset management, project planning and execution, wells decommissioning, recycling and disposal, financial reporting, and cost estimation. You’ll also explore existing and upcoming opportunities and challenges.
Places are limited, so secure your spot by registering.
Upcoming Webinars
WED, APR 09 | 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM GMT+8
Exploring an Alternative Approach to Subsea Pipeline Removal
Join us for our upcoming webinar with CODA Partner Restore Subsea, to explore an alternative approach to subsea pipeline removal and how it could apply to future decommissioning projects.
WED, APR 15 | 3:30 PM - 4:40 PM GMT+8
Integrating Carbon, Cost, Risk and Nature in Decommissioning Strategy
Join us for our upcoming webinar with CODA Partner sustain:able, focused on how carbon, consequence and cost can be considered together in decommissioning decision-making.
Latest Webinars & Podcasts
Podcast: Getting to Know Rean Gilbert
CEO Francis Norman sits down with CODA’s new General Manager, Rean Gilbert, to explore her career journey and what drew her to the decommissioning sector.
Webinar: Mercury Management During Oil & Gas Decommissioning
James H. “Vic” Vickery, Jr., Technical Director at Process Mercury Group, shares practical insights into managing mercury during oil and gas decommissioning projects.
Podcast: Accessing Skilled Personnel Across Borders
CODA CEO Francis Norman speaks with Paul Sammeroff, Partner at Resource 17, about the realities of sourcing and mobilising skilled personnel across the global energy sector.
Podcast: Cutting Technology for Pipeline and Well Decommissioning
CEO Francis Norman speaks with Nick McNally, Managing Director of Decom Engineering, about innovation, international growth and the evolving demands of decommissioning.
Webinar: Integrated Subsea Cutting and Recovery for Offshore Decommissioning
CEO Francis Norman is joined by Michael O'Neill, Head of Business Development at Decom Engineering, to discuss integrated subsea cutting and recovery solutions for decommissioning.
Podcast: A Norwegian Regulator’s Perspective on Well P&A
Francis Norman speaks with Nina Ringøen from Havtil about the role of regulation and oversight in preparing for the next phase of offshore well plugging activity in Norway.
News from CODA Partners
PENTARCH OFFSHORE SOLUTIONS
Pentarch Offshore Solutions recently supported a successful vessel mobilisation at the Port of Edrom, Eden NSW, working alongside the crew of the Fugro Etive and Thrust Marine. Backed by Pentarch Logistics, the short-lead mobilisation was delivered safely and efficiently, supporting a subsea decommissioning project in Bass Strait. The scope included assisting Thrust Marine with sea fastening operations, as well as providing stevedore and port-side support and backup crane capacity. The outcome reflects strong collaboration between experienced teams and highlights the growing capability of the Port of Edrom as a regional hub for offshore decommissioning activity.
GREEN STEEL WA / BIRDON
Green Steel of WA Collie Pty Ltd has entered into a scrap supply MoU with Birdon Pty Ltd, supporting the supply of ferrous scrap from decommissioned maritime and offshore assets to its planned electric arc furnace steel recycling mill in Collie. The partnership highlights the opportunity to strengthen a circular steel economy in Western Australia, linking responsible decommissioning with low-emissions steelmaking. Drawing on Birdon’s experience across maritime decommissioning and recycling projects, the collaboration demonstrates how end-of-life assets can be processed locally and re-used in future infrastructure, supporting regional industry capability and more sustainable outcomes.
BHAGWAN MARINE
Bhagwan Marine has secured a strategic decommissioning contract at Barrow Island, WA, involving the removal of oil tanker moorings and navigation buoys.
This award represents an entry point into a broader offshore decommissioning program tied to legacy infrastructure in the region.
You Might Be Interested In
23-24 JUN 2026, PERTH - AUSTRALIA
D&A AUS 2026
CODA will be once again partnering with Offshore Network to bring the conference to The Crown, Perth on 23-24 June 2026.
Speaking, sponsorship and attendance opportunities are now open. Get in touch with Erin Fox via efox@offsnet.com to secure you space.
NDRI (National Decommissioning Research Initiative) Update
The NDRI continues to do important research to better understand the impacts of decommissioning oil and gas structures on the Australian marine environment.
Alex Bastick ANSTO PhD Update
MARCH 2026
Alex Bastick is a PhD candidate supported by the NDRI at La Trobe University, conducting her research at Australia’s Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO).
The aim of my PhD is to improve our understanding of the impacts of ionising radiation from NORM on Australian marine organisms to aid in decision making for the decommissioning of offshore oil and gas infrastructure. I will achieve this through three main objectives: 1) a literature review to collate all existing radiological effects data to aquatic organisms to attempt to derive a water quality guideline value (i.e. effects threshold based on received radiological dose rate); 2) conduct controlled radiotoxicity tests to fill any gaps identified in the literature review; and 3) conduct bioaccumulation studies to assess how NORM radionuclides bioaccumulate and potentially biomagnify in a range of Australian marine organisms.
I have completed the literature review and am currently in the process of conducting data modelling. Overall, there is a very limited amount of data for radiological impacts to marine organisms, especially data that is of good quality (assessed using the established method within Warne et al. 2025). The current method for evaluating risk from ionising radiation in the environments, the Derived Consideration Reference Levels (DCRLs - from the International Commission on Radiation Protection; ICRP), in some cases are based on only one study and are of poor quality, reducing their representativeness for marine organisms and their reliability for evaluating risk. This highlights the need for more quality data, which I plan to generate through the second objective. I have also started radiotoxicity tests on Melita plumulosa, which are an estuarine amphipod local to Sydney, to test the impacts on their reproduction after 10-day exposures to radiation following modified sediment chemotoxicity protocols. The preliminary results suggest that there is a reduction in reproduction by 45% at the highest dose rate tested, 1,200 µGy/h, compared to the controls but this response will need to be validated through repeated experiments.
I recently completed my first-year PhD confirmation – this year has consisted of some travel, including to the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) AU conference in Wellington, New Zealand where I presented my NDRI-supported honours work and was also awarded a prize for my honours thesis. I have also visited a couple of different ecotoxicology labs including NIWA (Earth Sciences) in Hamilton, NZ and the Australia Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) in Darwin to learn ecotoxicological tests for a suite of marine organisms to use later in my PhD including mussels, sea anemones, snails and barnacles. I also recently travelled to Perth, WA to learn fish and sea urchin larvae development tests from a commercial lab. While there, I attended some meetings and events where I met some people from CODA, which was a great experience.
- Alex
