Following a destructive tropical cyclone, South32 engaged McConnell Dowell to urgently restore and rebuild the cyclone-damaged GEMCO Wharf on Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory. Liberty Industrial was appointed the specialist demolition contractor who’s innovative approach to this intricate subsea demolition project led to the engagement of AUS-ROV to provide underwater inspection, survey and intervention in support of the removal of structural debris for the duration of the project. In less than 12 months, export operations were restarted after an intense and fast-tracked program of works—an achievement that demanded rapid mobilisation, technical innovation, and collaboration across multiple specialist teams.
Project Scope and Mobilisation
To meet the challenge, McConnell Dowell mobilised a sophisticated marine fleet from across Australia, Singapore, and the UAE. This included two large jack-up barges (Santa Fe and Pauline), two smaller jack-ups (Sealift 2 and Sealift 6), a 250-tonne crane barge, three flattop storage barges, and a support fleet of tugs and work punts. The scale of mobilisation alone was a feat of logistics, setting the stage for a highly coordinated recovery effort.
Demolition and salvage were carried out in shark, crocodile, and stinger-inhabited waters, requiring more than 500 commercial dives and a rigorous safety-first approach. In total, over 1,037 tonnes of concrete and 998 tonnes of steel were removed from the seabed before reconstruction could commence.
AUS-ROV’s Role
Operating in such an isolated and high-risk marine environment presented significant challenges. Submerged wharf structures were heavily compromised, visibility was poor, and safe dive operations demanded constant situational awareness.
AUS-ROV was engaged to deliver remotely operated vehicle (ROV) inspections and 3D bathymetric surveys, providing daily subsea intelligence to the project team. These technologies gave real-time visibility of submerged structures, improved planning certainty, and allowed Liberty Industrial and McConnell Dowell to manage demolition and reconstruction with confidence.
Our contribution ensured:
Safe and controlled dismantling of underwater wharf elements.
Accurate seabed and structure mapping for engineering integration.
Reduced risk to divers operating in hazardous conditions.
With more than 317,000 hours worked, the GEMCO Wharf project was a showcase of resilience, technical excellence, and teamwork. The successful resumption of operations highlighted the combined strength of South32, McConnell Dowell, Liberty Industrial, Oceantec and AUS-ROV in delivering critical marine infrastructure under exceptional circumstances.
AUS-ROV is proud to have contributed subsea inspection and survey expertise to this project, reinforcing our reputation for supporting rapid mobilisation, offshore subsea ROV support and safe delivery in some of Australia’s most challenging environments.