Inpex’s plan for 3D seismic survey in Bonaparte Basin open for comments

Regulation & Policy

September 8, 2022, by Ajsa Habibic

Inpex’s proposal to undertake a 3D marine seismic survey within the greenhouse gas (GHG) storage assessment permit area G-7-AP, located in the Bonaparte Basin off northern Australia is now open for comments.

Australia’s National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) will be accepting public comments by 7 October 2022.

Inpex’s subsidiary Inpex Browse E&P and its partners TotalEnergies CCS Australia and Woodside recently confirmed the award of the GHG assessment permit, in a joint venture known as Bonaparte CCS Assessment.

Now, the joint venture is proposing to undertake a 3D marine seismic survey within the permit area located within Commonwealth waters to the north of the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf and approximately 100 kilometres west of Darwin Harbour.

The survey will comprise approximately 40 days of seismic data acquisition. The earliest date for the survey to commence is in April-May 2023.

The block, which contains the acreage awarded to the Inpex-led Bonaparte CCS Assessment JV, is located in an area considered promising for the geological storage of carbon dioxide in service of CCS activities.

The water depth at this site ranges between approximately 30 and 75 meters.

Inpex Browse will hold a 53% participating interest in the block as the operator, where it will pursue evaluation and appraisal work in cooperation with TotalEnergies and Woodside as Bonaparte CCS Assessment.