Shell resubmits environmental plan for seismic survey off Australia

Oil and gas major Shell has resubmitted an environmental plan for a seismic survey offshore Kimberley, Australia, to the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA).

Factory 3D; Source: NOPSEMA
Factory 3D; Source: NOPSEMA

The initial environmental plan for the Factory 3D marine seismic survey within the Browse and Bonaparte Basin offshore Western Australia was submitted on March 29.

NOPSEMA stated in late April that it was not reasonably satisfied with the environmental plan and gave Shell the opportunity to modify it.

The timeframe for the seismic survey was extended twice by the operator while the new EP was resubmitted on Wednesday, August 7.

The Factory 3D survey will comprise acquisition of approximately 3,750 km2 of 3D seismic data in Exploration Permits AC/P65, AC/P41, WA-534-P, and a very small portion of adjacent acreage for the purposes of acquiring sufficient data to fully-image the prospects on the titles.

The Factory Operational Area is located approximately 100 kilometers from the Kimberley coast of northern Western Australia and is around 200 km from the Indonesian archipelago and East Timor.

According to NOPSEMA, the plan is for the 3D survey to be carried out over a period of 2-3 months sometime between July 1 and December 30, 2019.


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