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ClimateQuiet 12d · day 13

WA EPA warns Woodside's Browse gas project risks endangered species and catastrophic oil spills

Australia's environmental watchdog said the fossil fuel giant's plan to drill offshore could cause irreversible harm to coral, turtles, and whales.

newest coverage 12d agosummary written 12d ago5 pieces1 likes & upvotes NewswiresRedditGoogle NewsBluesky

What to know

  • WA's Environmental Protection Authority issued a preliminary rejection of Woodside's Browse gasfield project in February 2024, citing unacceptable risks to endangered marine species and potential for catastrophic oil spills.
  • The EPA warned in its 2023 draft letter that Woodside's mitigation plans were ineffective and invoked the precautionary principle, requiring assumption of worst-case outcomes.
  • Woodside responded by adding explosive shear ram technology to contain spills within 12 hours, but competitor Chevron has rejected this technology as unproven and untestable.
  • Final approval for Browse development requires sign-off from environment ministers; approval is expected to be sought in 2027.

“sharply criticised Woodside's proposal to develop the Browse gasfield, saying its plans to protect endangered turtles and blue whales near Scott Reef would be ineffective”

WA Environmental Protection Authority (2023 draft letter), State environmental watchdog · The Guardian ↗ · Oct 25

Woodside Energy Australia's largest fossil fuel company, project proponentWA Environmental Protection Authority State environmental watchdogChevron Competing WA gas exporter

WA EPA warns Woodside's Browse gas project risks endangered species and catastrophic oil spills
theguardian.com

How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts

Peak 2 pieces in 3h at Oct 26, 9 AM; 5 pieces over 13 days (2 articles · 2 posts · 1 comment) Oct 26, 9 AM — 2 pieces · 2 articles — Newswires 1, Google News 1Oct 26, 12 PM — quietOct 26, 3 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Reddit 1Oct 26, 6 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Bluesky 1Oct 26, 9 PM — quietOct 27, 12 AM — quietOct 27, 3 AM — 1 piece · 1 comment — Reddit 1Oct 27, 6 AM — quietOct 27, 9 AM — quietOct 27, 12 PM — quietOct 27, 3 PM — quietOct 27, 6 PM — quietOct 27, 9 PM — quietOct 28, 12 AM — quietOct 28, 3 AM — quietOct 28, 6 AM — quietOct 28, 9 AM — quietOct 28, 12 PM — quietOct 28, 3 PM — quietOct 28, 6 PM — quietOct 28, 9 PM — quietOct 29, 12 AM — quietOct 29, 3 AM — quietOct 29, 6 AM — quietOct 29, 9 AM — quietOct 29, 12 PM — quietOct 29, 3 PM — quietOct 29, 6 PM — quietOct 29, 9 PM — quietOct 30, 12 AM — quietOct 30, 3 AM — quietOct 30, 6 AM — quietOct 30, 9 AM — quietOct 30, 12 PM — quietOct 30, 3 PM — quietOct 30, 6 PM — quietOct 30, 9 PM — quietOct 31, 12 AM — quietOct 31, 3 AM — quietOct 31, 6 AM — quietOct 31, 9 AM — quietOct 31, 12 PM — quietOct 31, 3 PM — quietOct 31, 6 PM — quietOct 31, 9 PM — quietNov 1, 12 AM — quietNov 1, 2 AM — quietNov 1, 5 AM — quietNov 1, 8 AM — quietNov 1, 11 AM — quietNov 1, 2 PM — quietNov 1, 5 PM — quietNov 1, 8 PM — quietNov 1, 11 PM — quietNov 2, 2 AM — quietNov 2, 5 AM — quietNov 2, 8 AM — quietNov 2, 11 AM — quietNov 2, 2 PM — quietNov 2, 5 PM — quietNov 2, 8 PM — quietNov 2, 11 PM — quietNov 3, 2 AM — quietNov 3, 5 AM — quietNov 3, 8 AM — quietNov 3, 11 AM — quietNov 3, 2 PM — quietNov 3, 5 PM — quietNov 3, 8 PM — quietNov 3, 11 PM — quietNov 4, 2 AM — quietNov 4, 5 AM — quietNov 4, 8 AM — quietNov 4, 11 AM — quietNov 4, 2 PM — quietNov 4, 5 PM — quietNov 4, 8 PM — quietNov 4, 11 PM — quietNov 5, 2 AM — quietNov 5, 5 AM — quietNov 5, 8 AM — quietNov 5, 11 AM — quietNov 5, 2 PM — quietNov 5, 5 PM — quietNov 5, 8 PM — quietNov 5, 11 PM — quietNov 6, 2 AM — quietNov 6, 5 AM — quietNov 6, 8 AM — quietNov 6, 11 AM — quietNov 6, 2 PM — quietNov 6, 5 PM — quietNov 6, 8 PM — quietNov 6, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 2 AM — quietToday, 5 AM — quietToday, 8 AM — quiet 1
Oct 27Oct 28Oct 29Oct 30Oct 31Nov 1Nov 2Nov 3Nov 4Nov 5Nov 6now · 10:10 AM ET
  1. 1

    Guardian publishes EPA's 2023 draft letter flagging Browse project risks

    The Guardian obtains and publishes the EPA's 2023 draft letter, which details warnings about damage to Scott Reef (home to 1,500+ species), oil spill risks, and threats to endangered marine life. The development awaits approval next year and faces assessment by both state and commonwealth EPAs, with ultimate decision-making power held by environment ministers.

    “it may be impossible to reduce the risk of an oil spill to an acceptable level…”
    — WA Environmental Protection Authority

    • Yep, they like to leave their rigs dumped in the ocean rather than, as they first promised (to get the project approved) towing back to shore and recycling.

      nath1234r/australia12d agoview on r/australia ↗
  2. background

    EPA sends preliminary rejection of Browse gasfield development to Woodside — Two months after board discussion, the EPA formally sends a letter to Woodside stating its preliminary view is to reject development of the Browse basin, Australia's largest undeveloped gas reserve.

  3. background

    Chevron rejects shear ram technology as unproven and untestable — Fellow Western Australian gas exporter Chevron rejects pyrotechnic shearing technology for its own wells, describing it as unproven and impossible to test in the field.

  4. background

    Woodside adds shear ram technology to drilling plans in response to EPA concerns — In response to the near rejection, Woodside adds explosive-driven shear rams to its drilling plans, claiming this could seal a leaking well in seconds and reduce the maximum duration of a well blowout to about 12 hours. The company states that if shear rams fail, a capping stack could stop oil flow within 16 days.

  5. background

    WA EPA staff present critical draft letter on Browse gasfield to board — EPA staff present a draft letter to the authority's board sharply criticizing Woodside's Browse gasfield proposal, warning that the company's plans to protect endangered turtles and blue whales near Scott Reef would be ineffective and flagging threats of serious or irreversible harm due to oil spills.

Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet

  1. 2 outlets Endangered turtles and ‘exceptional’ coral at risk from Woodside’s gas drilling in WA, watchdog says

    first by The Guardian, 12d ago · also Guardian