Australian Regulator Okay's Equinor's Southern Plan

The Australian offshore safety and environment regulator Nopsema approved December 18 Norwegian Equinor’s plan for exploratory offshore drilling near South Australia, the upstream lobby group Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (Appea) said.

The approval followed a comprehensive and rigorous assessment and public consultation period. Equinor will proceed with plans to drill the Stromlo-1 exploration well 400 km south west of Ceduna and 476 km west of Port Lincoln in the Great Australian Bight.

Appea South Australia director Matthew Doman said it was important that oil exploration resumed in the Bight to understand the scale of the resources and whether commercial development was possible. “This is an important step towards understanding the energy resource potential of the Great Australian Bight and delivering major economic and energy benefits to the state and the nation,” he said.

Appea said the oil and gas industry was proud of its track record of safe, sustainable operations over many decades in Australian conditions under Australian regulations. That includes long-established operations in Bass Strait and offshore Western Australia and the Northern Territory, and 13 wells already drilled in the Bight.