India has completed its first offshore oil and gas facilities decommissioning project with the safe dismantling of installations in the Tapti gas fields. The project was carried out by the Panna-Mukta and Tapti (PMT) joint venture partners—Shell (through BGEPIL), Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC).
The PMT JV operated under a Production Sharing Contract with the Government of India. ONGC held a 40% participating interest, while RIL and BGEPIL (a Shell subsidiary) each held 30%.
The scope of the decommissioning included the removal of five wellhead platforms and related infield pipelines, plug and abandonment of 38 wells, and transportation of equipment to an onshore dismantling yard. Production from the Tapti fields ceased in March 2016.
Key contracts for the project were awarded to Indian firms. Larsen & Toubro (L&T) managed offshore operations, and Chowgule Shipyard (CLSPL) is handling the onshore dismantling work in Ratnagiri. The project supports India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative by strengthening domestic offshore and onshore infrastructure capabilities.
The Tapti decommissioning project also contributed to the development of India’s regulatory and operational framework for offshore decommissioning. It involved coordination with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH), and Oil Industry Safety Directorate (OISD).
