On a small island in Western Australia’s northern waters, work has started to turn an oil field into a must-visit holiday destination.
Oil and gas giant Chevron has spent nearly a decade dismantling its towering operations on Thevenard Island, a tiny outpost off the Pilbara coast, and the local tourism industry is eager to capitalise.
Drew Norrish is the chief executive of Mackerel Islands, a tourism operator that brings fishing enthusiasts and ocean lovers to islands such as Thevenard.
The company’s cluster of cabins was a long-term neighbour to Chevron, and Mr Norrish said selling eco-tourism next to an oil field had been a difficult task.
“It has been a limiting factor,” he said.
“The big word that comes out is the ‘potential’ of the place, once the oil facility is gone, then the potential is realised.”
Mr Norrish said the business enjoyed a good relationship with Chevron but has now been looking forward to the legacy of the oil operations fading away.
He said this would allow his business to expand and further promote the island destination.
“Since they actually started the decommissioning a few years ago, it’s been nothing but on schedule and well communicated,” he said.
“And the end result, I’ve got to say is sensational.”
The first oil flowed from Thevenard Island in 1989, with about 156 million barrels generated before production ceased under Chevron in 2014.
Reports from 2015 stated decommissioning of the onshore and offshore infrastructure would be completed by 2017, but on-island work finished in 2021. Planning is still underway for offshore works.
Chevron’s Thevenard Island retirement manager Chris Jones said it had been a challenging project due to the island’s isolation, regular cyclone season and sensitive local wildlife.
The nearest town is Onslow, a tiny settlement of about 800 people, located more than 1,300 kilometres north of Perth.
“There’s lots of nuances to this project that have made it really enjoyable and rewarding to be a part of, but has added to the challenges,” Mr Jones said.
He said decommissioning saw thousands of tonnes of scrap metal produced via the demolition of the massive tanks and processing facilities, with 5,000 tonnes recycled.
The island’s abandoned production wells have been plugged, and the company said oil would not leak into the surrounding environment.
Attention has turned to rehabilitate the island’s terrain and plant life, with Chevron required to return its site to a condition similar to Thevenard’s nature reserve.
While Mr Jones insists there is no deadline for the rehabilitation, WA’s Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety says Chevron’s environment plans include milestones over a period of six to 10 years.
“The most important thing is that we achieve the right outcome,” Mr Jones said.
“So that in years to come, people can come here and you won’t be able to tell any difference. And if that takes a little longer, I think that’s well worth it.”
Chevron would not be drawn on how much the process would cost but said it was paid for by the company and its commercial partners.
The state government confirmed no WA taxpayer money was spent on decommissioning and rehabilitation, a process the federal regulator said was the sole responsibility of the state.
Pilbara potential
Thevenard Island is just one small part of the broader resources industry that dominates the Pilbara.
Iron ore mining, oil and gas, and other lucrative extractive sectors have long established the region as the centre of Australia’s resources trade.
However, this has made marketing the Pilbara’s sandy beaches, abundant wildlife, and striking gorges somewhat challenging for tourism operators.
The region is wedged between the famed natural wonders of the Ningaloo Reef to the south and the celebrated Kimberley region to the north.
However, according to Pilbara Tourism Association chief executive Barry Harrison, the Pilbara has just as much to offer as these destinations.
“That’s one of the things that the industry has battled for a number of years,” he said.
“You’ve obviously got to get over the noise that’s made around mining.”
Mr Harrison said the presence of heavy industry could even be incorporated into a broader travel sector via “industrial tourism”, sitting alongside the natural beauty.
“We’re just going to try and work in conjunction with that; I’m in Port Hedland, and it’s world-class the industrial assets here,” he said.
“People want to see that sort of thing.”
Mr Norrish, who spent five years living on Thevenard Island, knows what the Pilbara has to offer better than most.
“Mining for the Pilbara is just so strong; it’s on every page of the paper almost every day, so you’re never going to get away from that,” he said.
“People are looking for new things; they’ve done Broome and Exmouth to death, and love WA and just want to do something different.”