The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environment Management Authority (NOPSEMA) rejected oil and gas company BP’s proposal to drill in the Great Australian Bight as the company did not adhere to the environmental standards.
On 1 October 2015, BP Developments Australia Pty Ltd. (BP) submitted an environment plan proposing exploration drilling in the Great Australian Bight to NOPSEMA.
NOPSEMA officially announced its decision saying that ”it was not satisfied that BP’s environment plan for exploration drilling in the Great Australian Bight had met regulatory requirements.”
After a thorough and rigorous assessment, NOPSEMA has determined that the environment plan does not yet meet the criteria for acceptance under the environment regulations, and has advised BP of this decision.
NOPSEMA is required by law to provide BP with a reasonable opportunity to modify the environment plan. If BP chooses to resubmit a modified plan, it will then be assessed by NOPSEMA.
The environment regulations and NOPSEMA’s assessment policies, clearly outline the environment plan assessment process including timeframes for resubmission and the number of times modification and/or additional information may be required.
Source: NOPSEMA
