“At no point will we compromise on environmental standards,” WA Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston said after the release of eight blocks for petroleum exploration. Photo: WA Government.
Eight onshore blocks in Western Australia (WA) have been released to bidders from the petroleum exploration industry by the state’s government.
The blocks – which are open to bids until January – are located across the Canning, Northern Carnarvon, Amadeus and Perth Basins and vary in size from 400 to 7070 square kilometres.
The WA Government said a comprehensive assessment of environmental constraints, multiple land-use planning and native title considerations had been conducted before releasing the blocks, which represent the sole release of its kind in 2023. WA Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston said the Government was committed to ensuring best-practice regulatory frameworks were in place for the exploration activities.
“At no point will we compromise on environmental standards,” he said. “The Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety and other government agencies rigorously assess all WA petroleum activities and undertake regular environmental and safety compliance audits.”
The WA Government said all applications would also be subject to further departmental approvals before any exploration activity took place.
Exploration permits will allow successful applicants to conduct exploration activities, except hydraulic fracturing (or fracking), within the specified area for six years.
The WA Government said the release provided explorers with new opportunities to invest in the state’s petroleum sector and offered long-term support in developing WA’s oil and gas resources.
“WA’s petroleum sector remains an important contributor to our state’s ongoing economic success, with more than 12,600 workers employed in oil and gas,” Minister Johnston said.
“Energy Policy WA modelling found gas will continue to play an important role, with 3.9 gigawatts of new gas generation required to support the uptake of renewable energy by 2030.”
The application period closes at 4 pm on Friday, 19 January, 2024. For more information, visit the WA Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety’s website.
