Woodside Energy is under heavy fire. This announcement follows an unfortunate episode in which potentially harmful plastic polluting materials were discharged in the ocean during decommissioning activities at the Minerva gas well and pipeline. By March 8, 2025, the company had initiated an investigation. They found that more than 400 of these plastic saddle clamp components, totaling almost 186 kilograms, had made their way to the ocean. As concerns mount over the environmental footprint of energy sector decommissioning practices, this incident has fired the warning shot over the bow.
Since January 2025, Woodside and Subsea 7 have repeatedly and diligently attempted to decommission the Minerva wells. These wells are located approximately 7 miles from the coast of Port Campbell, Victoria’s south-west. That got out of hand pretty fast. Within only two days of the investigation being launched, the company discharged another 29 plastic parts into the sea. By May 2, Woodside had ceased cutting and recovery operations for the Minerva pipeline. This ruling followed an increasing outcry over plastic pollution.
Environmental Impact and Community Response
The ramifications of this breach are disastrous. Almost 200 kilograms of plastic waste landed on Victorian shores while the vessel was being decommissioned. Volunteer beach clean-up crews reported finding large chunks of plastic near Warrnambool, more than 60 kilometers from the pipeline site, beginning in February 2025. The vision of plastic parts strewn on the beaches during that time is what has triggered this sort of outrage from environmentalists and community members.
Joe Rafalowicz, a senior industry consultant and Woodside’s former operational excellence adviser, shared his fears about the company’s failings ways of working. He stated, “This wasn’t an accident, it was the direct result of the engineering methodology that they had chosen.” His remarks foresaw a popular resentment towards corporations for caring more about profit than environmental protection. Rafalowicz further remarked, “Woodside essentially ignored the engineering due diligence that they needed to do because they wanted to keep going with their activity.”
The incident has lead to calls for greater regulatory oversight. Rafalowicz urged for proactive investigations from the offshore regulator NOPSEMA, stating, “NOPSEMA needs to be doing more proactive investigations of the decommissioning as it’s occurring.” He pointed out that fines should be levied without providing a continual stream of warnings and modifications.
Regulatory Actions and Investigations
NOPSEMA acted quickly and doggedly to the growing crisis. As a result, they ordered Woodside to suspend all decommissioning activities in the Minerva site as well as two other gas fields in Western Australia until further notice. This order followed a period during which it was reported that Woodside had not informed NOPSEMA of their continued plastic release over the course of two months.
Woodside acknowledged the gravity of the situation through a spokesperson who noted that “The decommissioning of the Minerva pipeline has been suspended since May 2025 while an EPA investigation into the spilling of plastics is underway.” The spokesperson refrained from further comment due to the active investigation. They did reiterate their intent to closely follow up with claims of plastic debris on the area.
Needless to say, after these recent developments, Woodside is on the defensive. To address more future pollution disasters, they are working to develop a new, better environment plan. The spokesperson remarked, “Focus is now on preparing a revised environment plan with assessed mitigation controls to minimize and capture any potential plastic clamps being released.”
Future Considerations
These events have brought to the forefront the long-term viability of current decommissioning practices across the energy sector, particularly those involving fossil fuels. A current Victorian parliamentary inquiry into the decommissioning of oil and gas infrastructure has acknowledged this importance. Look for those findings to be published in March 2026, after which we may see much-needed stricter regulations and oversight.
Rafalowicz cautioned against complacency in tackling these concerns. He stated, “We’re risking sleepwalking into a decommissioning nightmare as these assets become stranded.” His statement further emphasizes the need for improved safety protections and accountability in the industry.
Furthermore, he expressed concern for the environment, stating, “I’m concerned it’s the environment that will pay the price as these companies try to cut costs at the end of their facilities’ life.” These sentiments undoubtedly express a larger fear felt by many about corporate accountability in resource extraction and environmental management.
