Woodside Energy\u2019s plan to drill for gas off Western Australia\u2019s north-west coast could significantly damage \u201cexceptional\u201d coral reefs and it may be impossible to reduce the risk of an oil spill to an acceptable level, according to advice from the state\u2019s independent environmental watchdog.<\/p>\n
A draft letter from WA\u2019s Environmental Protection Authority written in 2023, seen by the Guardian, sharply criticised Woodside\u2019s proposal to develop the Browse gasfield, saying its plans to protect endangered turtles and blue whales near Scott Reef would be ineffective.<\/p>\n
Woodside, Australia\u2019s largest fossil fuel company, is hoping to win approval next year to develop the Browse basin, about 300km off the Kimberley coast. Scientists have warned it could damage the Scott Reef ecosystem, which is home to more than 1,500 species, many unique to the area.<\/p>\n
EPA staff presented the draft letter to the authority\u2019s board for approval in December 2023. In February 2024, two months after it was discussed, the EPA sent a letter to Woodside saying its preliminary view was to reject development of the vast gas reserve<\/a>.<\/p>\n It was a significant setback to Woodside\u2019s plan to drill more than 50 wells and pipe the gas 1,000km to its ageing North West Shelf gas export plant adjacent to the world heritage-listed Murujuga rock art.<\/a><\/p>\n