Concerned Australian’s against BP drilling in the Pristine waters of the Great Australian Bight. UPDATE: The Wilderness Society commissioned their very own oil spill modelling data using data that would have been very similar if not exact to that of BP’s. We know know that if there was an oil spill it would affect the entire coastline of SA, parts of WA and VIC and even extend to Tasmania, New Zealand and possibly as far north as Sydney in the right (wrong) conditions. This is terrifying!
BP are planning to drill for oil and gas in the Great Australian Bight in October 2016. Lack of disclosure by BP means we don’t know exactly where drilling will commence, how this will effect local wildlife or how this will effect the coastline and communities. What we do know is that this area is rich in marine life. Supporting breeding nurseries for the Southern Right Whale, colonies of Sea Lions and variety of fishing and seafood industries, risk mitigation and good decision making is required here. Solid information not vague assurances are expected by the widespread community but these expectations are not being met. We are a group of independent South Australian locals living on the coast (primarily the Ceduna region) with increasing concerns over the BP exploration project in the Great Australian Bight (GAB). We are not aligned or connected with any ENGO’s or environmental agenices. We support the work of anyone campaigning with the same goal of protecting our beautiful environment.
We want to protect the multitude of marine species, livelihoods of people along the coast, and our beautiful pristine coastline. We have urged BP to release both the environmental plan and oil spill modelling data to the public to ease our fears and they have refused to do so. We beleive that the communities along the coastline, and indeed all of South Australia, are entitled to know exactly how BP plan to alter our beautiful part of the world. Without this knowledge we are very much against the idea of Oil and Gas exploration here, what are they hiding from us? The GAB has been described as having one of the largest marine bio diversities in the world with up to 90% of species being unique to the region. The area is crucial to the Southern Right Whale, Blue Fin Tuna, Australian Sea Lion and many many more. It would be such a devastating tragedy if anything were to happen to this beautiful piece of the world.
BP’s Brief History:
In January 2011 the Australian Government awarded global oil and gas giant BP the permits to begin surveying a 24,000 square kilometer area in the Great Australian Bight. Seismic testing was soon carried out on some 12,100 square km. Whilst there was concern of the effects on local wildlife, this stage has now been completed. As early as October 2016 BP wish to start their exploratory drilling phase. What has us majorly concerned is that as many as 80-90% of oil well blowouts happen during this exploratory phase. BP have said that BEST case scenario oil would pollute ONLY 760km. In perspective that is the distance from Kangaroo Island to the WA border as the crow flies. Any spill will apparently be capped in 35 days.
What is becoming increasingly concerning is that BP have not committed to releasing the environmental plan to the public. Nor have they committed to releasing the oil spill modelling data which outlines the effects of a possible oil spill in various conditions. The Deepwater Horizon disaster off the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 was in 1.5km of water in relatively calm conditions with clean up still being carried out 5 years on. BP have admitted that the area’s in which they wish to drill could range from between 3-5km deep and it is not uncommon for wave heights to be in excess of 10m high. (Note: in recent publications this has been revised down to 2.5km) We believe that South Australian’s, and indeed all Australian’s, should be able to decide for themselves if the risks involved are too high.