BP’s Great Bight plan rejected

Drilling activity in the Great Australian Bight was postponed further after the country’s National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) denied BP’s drilling plans for not meeting regulatory requirements.

BP and partner Statoil’s was the most advanced among other drilling projects by Santos/Murphy and Chevron in what the company called the “last big unexplored basin in the world.” BP was initially planning to begin drilling two out of four proposed wells in the basin 300 kilometres off the coast in May 2016.

The Bight is a difficult environment to explore, with waves reaching 10 metres, sea depths of 2,200 metres and oil structure 2,500 metres below the seabed, which prolongs proposal and work periods.

BP stated it would revise its 1,200-page, $710-million proposal to adhere to the strict environmental compliance rules. Regulators expressed concern for the company’s safety record and the risks a potential spill would present for sea life in the area.

For more news and features about Australia, click here.