Conservationists challenge Woodside's Scarborough project
The Australian Conservation Foundation Incorporated (ACF) has started proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia in relation to the environmental assessment of Woodside’s Scarborough project offshore Western Australia, the company said on June 22.
The ACF is seeking an injunction to restrain offshore project activities. The Scarborough project has been the subject of environmental assessments by a range of regulators including the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority, the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment and the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority.
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“The Scarborough project is underway and proceeding to schedule after receiving all primary environmental approvals,” Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill said. “The project will deliver significant local and national benefits in the form of employment, tax revenue and reliable gas supply in the energy transition for decades to come.”
“Woodside will vigorously defend its position in these proceedings,” she added.
ACF said that the Scarborough project’s greenhouse gas emissions will have a “significantly detrimental impact” on the Great Barrier Reef. “Therefore, this project should not be allowed to start production without interrogation under our national environment law,” it said.
The Scarborough field is located approximately 375 km off the coast of Western Australia and is estimated to contain 11.1 trillion ft3 of dry gas. Development of Scarborough will include the installation of a floating production unit with eight wells drilled in the initial phase and thirteen wells drilled over the life of the Scarborough field. The gas will be transported to Pluto LNG through a new approximately 430 km trunkline.