Inpex gets green light for Western Australia 2D seismic survey

Australia’s National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) has accepted the revised environmental plan from Inpex for a 2D seismic survey offshore Western Australia.

The survey includes exploration permits WA-532-P and WA-533-P in the Browse and Offshore Canning Basins, as well as the acquisition of seismic data in production license WA-50-L within the Browse Basin.

Inpex submitted the environmental plan for assessment on 18 January. NOPSEMA accepted the revised plan on 12 May.

At the closest point, the survey activity will take place over 87 kilometers west of Broome and 42 kilometers offshore from the Dampier Peninsula.

Seismic data acquisition will mainly take place in water depths between approximately 50 meters and 600 meters below mean sea level.

However, some seismic data acquisition may occur in shallower areas located at Lynher Bank in the southern part of WA-532-P where the shallowest water depth is approximately 30 meters, and east of WA-533-P where the shallowest water depth is approximately 37 meters.

Based on the environmental risk assessments presented in the plan, an acceptable window of opportunity was determined to be from 1 November to 31 May in any calendar year that the plan applies.

In the event that seismic acquisition is unable to commence on 1 November 2021 due to prolonged COVID-19 restrictions, further provision to commence the activity in November 2022 or 2023 has been allowed.

The duration of the survey activity will comprise approximately 140 days of seismic data acquisition.