Shell targets gas near Ningaloo marine park

INTERNATIONAL oil giant Shell is heading for a showdown with conservationists after applying to start gas exploration just 30km from the edge of the Ningaloo Marine Park.

Shell this week lodged an application with the federal department of environment to undertake 3D seismic testing over 680 square kilometres of ocean west of North West Cape in a line roughly 25km south of Exmouth.

The proposed Salsa 3D seismic survey, which will be used to identify possible oil and gas well drilling sites, will come within 30km of the western edge of the pristine Ningaloo Marine Park and sits in the middle of a whale migration route.

If approved, the program would be conducted over 17 to 27 days starting in late November to avoid the annual southern migration of the humpback whale.

Given the proposed timing of the survey and its location in waters 1400 metres deep, Shell said it was unlikely the program would have any significant environmental impact, and that it would implement a strict environmental management plan.

While there is already extensive oil and gas development immediately north of the North West Cape, there are currently no oil or gas developments immediately west of the cape.

Shell’s application comes at a sensitive time just one year after the disastrous Montara oil spill in the Timor Sea and only two months after BP finally plugged the massive Macondo spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

It also comes just three months after the federal government controversially released oil and gas exploration permits in the Mentelle Basin off Margaret River.

Meanwhile, the federal election has left a question hanging over when the report into the Montara spill will be released and whether a federal plan to create a national network of marine parks will be suspended by the incoming government.

WWF Australia director Paul Gamblin said there was widespread concern about increasing oil and gas activity close to the extremely fragile Ningaloo environment, especially given the lack of research into the cumulative impacts of such activity.

“There has been no assessment of the cumulative impacts of oil and gas exploration or production in this region so no one can claim with any certainty that their activities won’t cause any harm,” he said.

“A threatened whale or turtle migrating through the region obviously doesn’t distinguish between the barrage of noise of a seismic campaign from one company or another.”

Mr Gamblin also criticised the “ad-hoc” nature of offshore development in the Exmouth region without any overarching regional plan, and the continuing delay in the release of the Montara report.