Petrovietnam Domestic Exploration Production Operating Company Limited (PVEP POC) reported that an incident had occurred at the Song Doc oil field, located offshore the southwest of Vietnam, in the late afternoon of May 21.

This oil field is depleted and ceased production in February 2024. It is currently undergoing decommissioning in accordance with an approved plan.

Immediately following the incident, emergency response measures were swiftly activated.

Workers on an offshore project. Photo: Petrovietnam

Within approximately 30 minutes, the situation was fully under control, with no environmental impact reported.

The incident has not affected ongoing exploration and production activities at other surrounding petroleum projects, which have continued to operate normally.

PVEP POC has confirmed that the situation is now under control and the body is actively cooperating with relevant parties to determine the root cause of the incident.

The Song Doc oil field is situated approximately 205km south of Ca Mau Cape.

It was discovered and declared commercially viable in 2006. As a relatively small-scale project, its expected production capacity was around 28,000 barrels of oil per day.

The field was initially operated by a consortium of three contractors, encompassing PetroVietnam Exploration Production Corporation (PVEP), which held a 40 per cent stake, along with Petronas Carigali Overseas Sdn. Bhd from Malaysia and Talisman Vietnam Ltd, each holding 30 per cent stakes.

However, the foreign partners gradually withdrew from the project due to high operational costs and declining production levels.

In November 2013, PVEP was assigned to continue operating and maximising the remaining resources from the field.

At the end of last year, PVEP POC launched a project to plug and abandon the wells and remove the Song Doc platform.

According to documentation from the Vietnam National Industry-Energy Group (Petrovietnam), the Song Doc field is the first decommissioning project of its kind in Vietnam, marking a significant milestone and a pioneering step for the country’s oil and gas industry.

The execution of the decommissioning process and the removal of offshore equipment and infrastructure demonstrates the professionalism and dedication of Petrovietnam and its subsidiaries in managing the entire lifecycle of exploration and production, right through to responsible field closure, while ensuring safety and environmental protection.