Decommissioning means taking oil and gas installations out of service, and shutting them down. Oil and gas are no longer extracted, and it may involve removing the installation and equipment and permanently sealing wells.

Decommissioning may also involve returning the environment to its natural state. This depends on the marine consent conditions for the oil and gas operation.

Some decommissioning activities (eg, discharge of a harmful substance or the disturbance of the seabed) require consent.

Regulations for decommissioning plans

Operators and owners of oil and gas installations in the EEZ must have a decommissioning plan accepted by the EPA before they can apply for a consent for activities required to decommission their fields. Decommissioning plans regulations were published on 30 September 2021, and come into force on 28 October 2021.

The decommissioning plan is subject to public consultation before being accepted.

Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects—Decommissioning Plans) Regulations 2021 – New Zealand Legislation website

Consent applications for decommissioning

Decommissioning of the Tui oil field started before the decommissioning plans legislation came into effect. This means that the consent holder (Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment) applied for consents for some activities without requiring an EPA accepted decommissioning plan.

This is a notified consent application process that will be decided by a board of inquiry appointed by the Minister for the Environment.

Tui Project: decommissioning the Tui oil field – MBIE website