Vietnamese oil platform undergoing decommissioning catches fire

A fire has broken out at a platform offshore Vietnam operated by Petrovietnam Exploration Production Corporation (PVEP).

According to PVEP, the incident occurred at the Song Doc field, off the coast of Southwest Vietnam, in the late afternoon of May 21, 2025. The field has not been producing since February 2024, and decommissioning activities are currently being undertaken.

As disclosed, the fire was put under control in 30 minutes and did not affect the environment, neither did it have an impact on normal exploration and production activities at other oil and gas projects.

PVEP said it is continuing to coordinate with relevant parties to clarify the cause.

Based on a WoodMackenzie report, the Song Doc field was brought onstream in November 2008 via a small wellhead platform tied back to a floating, platform, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit. The field was part of Block 46/02, located in the Malay Basin, 144 kilometres southwest of Ca Mau province.

The license for the block was initially awarded to Talisman, Petronas Carigali, and PetroVietnam, with the Truong Son Joint Operating Company (JOC) subsequently formed to operate the block.

MODEC’s FPSO unit Song Doc Pride MV19 worked at the field 2008–2017. The FPSO, which is a converted Panamax tanker, was installed in 55 meters water depth in Block 46/02, approximately 170 kilometers offshore Vietnam.

It was capable of processing 30,000 barrels of liquid per day and had an oil storage capacity of 360,000 barrels.

In its 2024 Annual Report, Petrovietnam Technical Services Corporation (PTSC) disclosed having won a contract for the design and construction of well plug and abandonment work and the removal and relocation of the Song Doc platform together with Petrovietnam Drilling. In addition, PTSC also won the contract for dismantling and relocating the FPSO MV19 vessel.

The Song Doc decommissioning project is said to be the first full-package well decommissioning project in Vietnam. This is interpreted to bear great significance for the domestic oil and gas industry, opening up new directions for services to be provided domestically and internationally.