Environmental performance

In 2009 and 2010, the Montara oil and gas leak in the Timor Sea and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the United States reduced government and community confidence in the petroleum industry’s ability to operate safely and sustainably in sensitive environments.

The industry is actively responding to the testimony and evidence brought to the Montara Commission of Inquiry, the findings of the Independent Review of Offshore Safety Regulation and the lessons from the Deepwater Horizon incident. It is reviewing all elements of its operations, its practices, its response capabilities and is taking actions necessary to improve its environmental performance and reduce the risk of these incidents occurring again.

Such actions range from a reconsideration of oil spill response procedures to approaches to the assessments and management of spills, communication protocols and the need for additional research in areas such as blowout prevention and subsea oil collection.

The industry has already responded at several levels including prevention through well design, construction and operations, through to potential arrangements to ensure any response to any future emergency is as rapid and streamlined as possible. Detailed examination of the findings from these two incidents will further guide industry and government responses.

Clearly, high-profile incidents can overshadow the industry’s many positive achievements. The petroleum industry recognises its environmental and safety performance are key factors in how the sector is judged by the community and regulated by government.

Coal seam gas

Most CSG fields in Queensland and New South Wales generate water before and during early-stage gas production. This water production will increase as the CSG industry expands to meet growing domestic and export demand. Landholders in south-east Queensland are concerned about the impact of the CSG industry operations on farming activities and water tables. The industry is committed to working with landholders to minimise the environmental impacts of drilling and construction activities and disruption to farming activities.

With support from the Australian and NSW Governments, the industry has commissioned a study to collate quality data to help identify any risks associated with mining and coal seam gas development on water resources. The scope of the study is to be the whole of the Namoi Catchment in northern NSW.

The CSG industry must continue to inform and consult with stakeholders and landowners about the environmental impacts of CSG activity. But debate should be based on sound scientific research such as the Namoi Water Study now underway.

For more information, see the coal seam gas section of this website.

Marine environmental management

The industry is committed to better understanding and minimising the impact of sound exposure and seismic acquisition on marine mammals. A workshop of scientists was held on this issue in April 2009 and research into the hearing sensitivity of baleen whales, cumulative impacts, and avoidance behaviour is continuing. As research continues, the industry undertakes a range of mitigation strategies, including timing seismic exploration to avoid peak migration periods and adopting a whale exclusion zone when implementing soft-start procedures.