Warning for Mariners as Oil Rig Lights Go Out

By Piper Duffy

ABC Midwest and Wheatbelt

Topic: Oil and Gas

The Maritime Union of Australia is worried that the unlit Cliff Head oil platform could put mariners' safety at risk.

In short:

The Maritime Union of Australia is concerned about mariners' safety because the Cliff Head oil platform's lights are turned off.

The platform's operators called in administrators in July.

What's next?

Marine Safety WA is telling mariners to be aware of the navigation hazard.

An old oil drilling rig at sea is causing safety concerns because its lights are not working.

The Cliff Head oil platform has been in the news because of a $200 million clean-up bill after two oil and gas companies went bankrupt.

Pilot was working with Triangle to reuse the rig, but both companies went out of business in July.

The rig, which is 11 kilometers off the coast of Dongara, has been used as a navigation aid for over a decade but is now unlit.

'Extremely dangerous'

Many mariners, including commercial fishermen, travel through the area where the old drilling rig is located.

Western Australia's Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure warned about the lack of lighting on the oil rig.

Marine Safety WA advised mariners in Dongara and Leeman waters to be aware of the 500-meter exclusion zone and to check navigation warnings.

Thomas Mayo says the unlit platform is very dangerous.

The Maritime Union of Australia's assistant national secretary, Thomas Mayo, said that unlit infrastructure at sea can be a huge risk for mariners at night.

It's very dark at sea, and there are no street lights, making it extremely dangerous to have an unlit facility.

You've got all sorts of weather and conditions to contend with, so it's extremely dangerous to have a facility out there unlit.

These things should be cleaned up quickly after they've finished being used.

The Cliff Head platform is abandoned after the operators, Triangle Operations and Pilot Energy, went bankrupt.

Calls for action

The future of the platform is uncertain, and it's not clear who will pay for its decommissioning.

Federal resources minister Madeline King said that the taxpayer would not pay for the decommissioning.

She said that if the companies cannot pay, she will take other measures to cover the costs.

The Cliff Head platform has been operating since 2006 but is now abandoned off the Dongara coastline.

But Mr. Mayo said there needs to be greater action.

It's an indication of what we might see more of because oil and gas companies are increasingly abandoning platforms and not following up with their obligations to clean up.

They certainly shouldn't be getting away without decommissioning and putting mariners at danger.

A spokesperson for the administrators said they were aware of concerns about the rig's lighting.

A spokesperson for the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority said they were working to reduce hazards.

NOPSEMA is aware that the facility is unlit and is coordinating the deployment of navigational aids, including lighting.

In the meantime, information about the facility's location and status is available to mariners through navigational safety information.

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