A worst-case oil spill in the Great Australian Bight would be twice the scale of the Gulf of Mexico disaster, and rough seas and a lack of suitable equipment risk delaying the response effort, confidential plans show.
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| Plans to drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight show a worst-case spill would be twice as big as the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, pictured. |
Documents released under freedom of information laws reveal the potential dangers involved in drilling for oil in the wild, isolated seas off the South Australian coast – a move Resources Minister Matt Canavan last week said was a “national priority” that would secure Australia’s fuel supplies.
Norwegian energy giant Equinor plans to explore for oil in the Great Australian Bight and insists it can be done safely. Critics say the venture is too risky and an oil spill in the pristine region would damage coastal communities and devastate marine life, including endangered southern right whales.
Equinor last year acquired two exploration permits from BP, and plans to drill an exploratory well by October next year.
Read the story by Nicole Hannam from The Sydney Morning Herald - “Major oil spill off Australia's coast would dwarf Deepwater Horizon disaster, documents show.”
