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Santos has agreed to not drill into its Barossa fuel reservoir for 3 weeks till the courtroom that has heard a case in opposition to its US$3.6 billion ($5.2 billion) undertaking introduced by Conventional Homeowners reconvenes.
Dennis Tipakalippa, a senior lawman of the Tiwi Islands north of Darwin is suing the offshore oil and fuel regulator NOPSEMA alleging his Munupi Clan was not correctly consulted earlier than the regulator accredited Santos’ plan to drill as much as eight fuel wells about 120km north of the islands.
The Barossa discipline will produce essentially the most carbon-intensive LNG in Australia as a result of excessive stage of CO2 within the reservoir.Credit score:Santos
The Environmental Defenders workplace, representing Tipakalippa, has argued in a weeklong Federal Court docket trial that concluded on Friday that insufficient session by Santos renders NOPSEMA’s March 2022 approval of the drilling invalid.
After the hearings that included taking proof on-country Santos has agreed to not drill any new wells within the Barossa fuel discipline and to cease drilling its present effectively earlier than it breaches the fuel reservoir.
Mr Tipakalippa mentioned he was relieved to get Santos’ promise.
“Drilling into the seabed is like drilling into our our bodies,” Tipakalippa mentioned.
“This week, we have now had our voices heard. We are going to battle to guard our Sea Nation, from the start to the tip.”
The Valaris MS1 drilling rig arrived at Barossa in July and drilling was anticipated to proceed till October 2023. The rig has been reported as costing about $US220,000 ($316,000) a day by business information web site Offshore Power.
On the subsequent listening to within the case, on September 16, a call will probably be delivered or arguments referring to an injunction to restrain additional drilling will probably be heard.
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