FPSO Challis Venture Helideck

Economic reasons. The helideck was closed because the FPSO vessel it was on was decommissioned from its location. This was a direct result of the Challis oil field becoming economically unviable due to resource depletion and declining production rates, leading to the permanent shutdown of the entire operation.

The site at coordinates -12.133333, 125.016667 is now open ocean. The physical helideck and the FPSO Challis Venture vessel were removed from the location in 1998. The vessel itself was sold and converted into the 'FPSO Espoir Ivoirien', which now operates off the Ivory Coast in West Africa. The original site in the Timor Sea contains abandoned subsea infrastructure from the depleted Challis field, which is slated for final decommissioning under the oversight of Australian regulatory bodies like NOPSEMA.

The FPSO Challis Venture Helideck was a critical aviation facility for the Australian offshore oil and gas industry in the Timor Sea. Its sole purpose was to support the operations of the Challis Venture, one of the region's early Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessels. The helideck handled all helicopter traffic to and from the vessel, which was essential for regular crew changes, transporting specialized technicians, delivering urgent supplies and equipment, and conducting medical evacuations. Flights typically originated from Darwin or Truscott Airbase in Northern Australia, making the helideck a vital link to the mainland for the isolated offshore workforce.

Zero. There are no prospects for reopening this specific helideck (AU-0701). The facility was part of a mobile vessel that has been permanently removed and repurposed elsewhere in the world. The oil field it served is depleted and the remaining subsea infrastructure is being decommissioned. Any future development in this specific area would require entirely new infrastructure, including a new vessel with its own, newly registered helideck.