Rottnest oil well plan sparks pollution fears
AN oil company has a licence to drill off Rottnest Island - and exploration could go ahead within six months.
Melbourne-based Nexus Energy holds an exploration permit covering almost 2000sqkm from Rottnest to Quinns Rocks in Perth's north, Federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson confirmed this week.
At its closest point, the lease is just 10km from Rottnest Island and 10km from Perth's northern beaches, including Scarborough, North Beach and Hillarys.
The area could hold as much as 200 million barrels of oil, according to the company.
And Nexus Energy managing director Richard Cottee said if exploration went ahead, the drill rig would be clearly visible from Rottnest and Perth beaches.
Angling tourism is worth $10 billion to the Australian economy - 90000 jobs; more than any sport; spread the word
saltatrix
Posts: 1081
Date Joined: 30/03/08
A. How large is the
A. How large is the lease?
B. How will it impact access to fishers?
C. Where will the rig be?
Angling tourism is worth $10 billion to the Australian economy - 90000 jobs; more than any sport; spread the word
hlokk
Posts: 4294
Date Joined: 04/04/08
And most importantly: D.
And most importantly:
D. Will we be able to fish on it :D
HuggyB
Posts: 2515
Date Joined: 03/08/08
no
generally a well guarded 500m or more exclusion zone. Which kinda sucks, when you are on them they are the mother of all FAD's. Not uncommon to see schools of 20 or more 1.5m long spaniards cruising around, plenty of GT's and tons of tuna.
The Terrorist - coming to a fishing spot near you.........
hekser
Posts: 572
Date Joined: 31/03/10
i saw this in the paper
and i dont liek it. but it will mean jobs.
JohnF
Posts: 2839
Date Joined: 07/07/10
Well, I am in the mining
Well, I am in the mining industry, but jeeeeze, this is too much. It is one thing digging a ruddy big hole in the middle of the desert, but an oil rig off Rotto.....no thanks.
Call me a tree hugger (or worse Scotto...hahaha.....another joke mate!), but I aint for this.
Not sure I am gonna chain myself to my surfbaord out there in protest, but will certainly be exercising my democratic right to bare my arse at the whole idea.
Bring on the pain!
Boston Whaler 235 Conquest......getting the flogging it was built for.
scotto
Posts: 2472
Date Joined: 21/04/08
bloody
tree hugger.
hahahahah just jokin!! I'm fully against it too.
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18089
Date Joined: 11/03/08
thinking about it it might
thinking about it it might not be so bad, but why an eastern states mob.
.spose better than o/seas mob making money off our resources
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
DhuBoi
Posts: 896
Date Joined: 25/05/09
yeh just another disaster
yeh just another disaster waiting to happen.
living is fishing
GusG
Posts: 547
Date Joined: 07/04/08
Funny how people care about
Funny how people care about this when it is in their backyard but not on some pristine remote kimberly beach.
Not bagging anyone as I thought the same thing but just an observation. It will be interesting to see how people will react to this.
Billcollector
Posts: 2086
Date Joined: 16/05/09
Was thinking the same thing
Was thinking the same thing GusG. Maybe by starting with a rig highly visible in Barnetts electorate would be a good start. Lets see the whingeing then.
deepwater
Posts: 1921
Date Joined: 09/05/07
I think it is a good thing
I think it is a good thing ,siting on the hill up here i can see 8 riggs from sure,the only thing is down that way more people would see it ,no different from up here or down there ??? we all need oil ...
jeff
Lastchance
Posts: 1273
Date Joined: 02/02/09
Spot On Deepwater/Kane
My thoughts exactly. It does seem ok to fish on the under water pipelines out of Dampier, or Monties/Barrow, sneek under an unmanned Monopod for a fish or enjoy the employment oportunities created by projects, as long as the majority cant see it from their place or think that the environment is in good hands because they cant see an offshore platform.
kane
Posts: 1752
Date Joined: 07/12/08
consider how many oil wells are out there without incident.....
and also consider the northwest shelf where oil rigs and wells are located extremely close to the ningaloo reef and other pristine areas, at the end of the day providing the proper safety measures are adhered to there will be no problems.
i think its a good thing.
Gooooone Fishin!
mitch
Posts: 1285
Date Joined: 14/08/05
YEP pump the crude oil
YEP pump the crude oil straiaght to the petrol refinery just north of two rocks where i plan on getting a job if i eva move back to perth that is
plenty of fads out there then
Brucesta
Posts: 1721
Date Joined: 29/05/09
all changes when it's in
all changes when it's in your backyard doesn't it??? an unwarrarnted response to such a common practice, i won't call it low risk due to the high residule consequences of a failure but first they are looking for oil, they haven't found it yet so they could come back with a few dry well or deposits that are not economically viable to produce.
As deepwater said, get up on the lookout at the lighthouse caravan park and see the rigs producing and drilling out there 30-50kms away from one of the most important ecosystems in W.A if not australia.
Greenies can whinge all they want, it disturbs whale breeding and migration patterns, BULLSHIT! they love the protection the platforms, shit we saw a whale yestersday no more than 1km from all the loading berths in Dampier.
Same thing off Onslow, little monopods and production platforms everywhere all the way up past Barrow, Varanus, Lowendalls, Monte's etc. woodside has drilled holes right next to coral reefs off Scott reef etc, remember where your hot water, stove and the power you consume to whinge on this thread comes from, technology is far greater and the risks involved so much lower in these days and is only getting better with sub sea tecnology to take the risk away from pristine areas.
Las Vegas - Rolling the dice and trying your luck. 1M+ Barra summer target. 100kg Black Marlin winter target
John the Pom
Posts: 182
Date Joined: 22/10/09
The 'don't drive cars and
The 'don't drive cars and use plastic things if you don't want this' attitude is wrong.
I don't want it here and I don't want them anywhere near the ningaloo reef and other sensitive areas as the technology can be as safe as you want, but it only takes a decent size spill to happen near one of these areas once, then you can kiss goodbye to those areas for a long time, if not forever.
This calling people or people being scared of being called a greenie is bullshit as well, who gives a fuck? The important thing is that some people care about other things over profit and money. Do we actually really need to drill in these areas? Is there not enough happening already in other less environmentally sesitive areas to let everyone take their fair share?
Just seems like greed to me.
Tony Halliday
Posts: 2500
Date Joined: 14/06/07
FAD's on a grand
FAD's on a grand scale.!
even if you don't get to fish closer than 500m to them, you will see huge improvement in pellagic fish in the area. Big dollies and mackies will cruise the area.
Yes it's a risk to the beaches etc, but so is every ship that goes in and out of Freo everyday. Hopefully the technology used will be the right ones and good sensable limits applied.
Tony Halliday: ~Meals on Reels ~
It takes a strong fish to swim against the current. Even a dead one can float with it
"It is always in season for old men to learn." Aeschylus (525-456 BC)
"In a mad world only the mad are sane." Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998)
Brucesta
Posts: 1721
Date Joined: 29/05/09
good luck with that theory
good luck with that theory John, if only there was copiuos amounts of oil in the middle of butt-fuck, sadly it's not and it''s not viable to produce assets like that when they are found, Economics will always win.
Las Vegas - Rolling the dice and trying your luck. 1M+ Barra summer target. 100kg Black Marlin winter target
hlokk
Posts: 4294
Date Joined: 04/04/08
"if only there was copiuos
"if only there was copiuos amounts of oil in the middle of butt-fuck"
Ummm, like the North West Shelf?
I think it is half of Australias reserves (or production, i forget) of oil and gas.
Also, timor sea/bonaparte basin has the second largest production I think which is well, not near much civilisation, haha.
Brucesta
Posts: 1721
Date Joined: 29/05/09
sure is but the permits are
sure is but the permits are all taken by the big boys, plenty of patches of oil off dongara as well, few bits of gas there also but mainly small stuff.
CSG fields will play a very big part shortly and i'm not sure of the size of the feilds over near Gladstone but it seems to be the next big thing, so many wells needed though...
Sorry i don't have a problem with looking for oil and gas reserves or even using them, yes i work for an oil and gas company and i'm happy to be there too, otherwise i'd probably be leaving gaping big holes on the national park boundary hauling rocks to the coast, how is this any different i ask??? 300km pipline vs 300km train track, gas plant vs open cut mine and facilites? surely the scale isn't much different?
Las Vegas - Rolling the dice and trying your luck. 1M+ Barra summer target. 100kg Black Marlin winter target
Cammos
Posts: 606
Date Joined: 30/06/09
Give me solar and wind farms
Give me solar and wind farms any day.
Indiana
Posts: 307
Date Joined: 15/12/09
Safe technology ?
Let ask the people on the coast around the Gulf Of Mexico how safe they consider the technology .......
" IF YOUR NOT GOING TO EAT IT ......PUT IT BACK WHERE YOU CAUGHT IT"
Billcollector
Posts: 2086
Date Joined: 16/05/09
Brucesta. Karratha is
Brucesta. Karratha is already fucked so you might as well have it all coming through there instead of screwing up other areas. you seem to like it so much you can keep it.
Brucesta
Posts: 1721
Date Joined: 29/05/09
better get used to it
better get used to it Billcollector, it's coming your way soon too buddy
you can complain all you like but billions of dollars in taxes, royalties etc will win out every time no matter where you live in the world, cash talks!
Las Vegas - Rolling the dice and trying your luck. 1M+ Barra summer target. 100kg Black Marlin winter target
Billcollector
Posts: 2086
Date Joined: 16/05/09
Unfortunately Brucesta you
Unfortunately Brucesta you hit the nail on the head. I can see this town being screwed up over the next 5 years. It won't stop up here with just Woodsides processing plant because the government will keep going with the industry to justify their investment.(Barnetts already talking about 3 plants instead of the 2 he has on the table now ) Unfortunately I think the towns appeal and attraction to tourists will suffer due to the nature of industrialisation.
hlokk
Posts: 4294
Date Joined: 04/04/08
Tourists choose to go to
Tourists choose to go to Karratha??
dodgy
Posts: 4586
Date Joined: 01/02/10
Should see it in the cooler
Should see it in the cooler months. Cant move for the Grey Nomads.
Pretty sure the tourism industry Billcollector is talking about is Broome. Aparently a fairly major tourist destination. I think its just Hedland with a couple of Palms and Lawn myself.
Does anyone know where the love of god goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?
Brucesta
Posts: 1721
Date Joined: 29/05/09
Good old Col is looking to
Good old Col is looking to become the next Charlie Court isn't he? Mate i hope like all hell that Broome doesn't loose it's appeal mate, i love the spot. Places like Karrachi and Pt Hedland only exist because of primary industry, Broome at least stands on it's own two feet.
Las Vegas - Rolling the dice and trying your luck. 1M+ Barra summer target. 100kg Black Marlin winter target
NOHA
Posts: 914
Date Joined: 24/06/07
Storm in a tea cup
Dont get upset over this one guys.. If it was economically viable there would be operating wells out there already. 200 million barrels in small fragmented and difficult geology.
There lease is up and they havnt drilled a well because its not worth it.. Now there in the poo because the conditions of obtaining an oil lease say you must drill a well. At worst they will drill a dry duster and move on.
There are lots of test wells out there arround Rotto all ready.
Twin turbo..V8 diesel..Ohh what a feeling!!
No Orange Hats Allowed
carnarvonite
Posts: 8673
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Barnett
You can bet your bottom dollar that Barnett is going to say "yes" regardless of any risk to the environment. Trying to beat Charlie Court on development at all cost to get his name in the record book.
Regardless of what the greenies put up its going to go ahead and rightly so.
saltatrix
Posts: 1081
Date Joined: 30/03/08
A. How large is the lease?
A. How large is the lease?
B. How will it impact access to fishers?
C. Where will the rig be?
Anyone?
Angling tourism is worth $10 billion to the Australian economy - 90000 jobs; more than any sport; spread the word
HuggyB
Posts: 2515
Date Joined: 03/08/08
did you not read
what you pasted in your first post?
A. 2000sqkm
B. 500m exclusion zone minimum, but the FAD like effect sghould be a bonus to fishing for pelagics in the metro area
C. Visibile from both Rotto and shore, but the exact location is not known until they do their exploration and if it goes ahead.
The Terrorist - coming to a fishing spot near you.........
carnarvonite
Posts: 8673
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Chart
They showed it on a chart in the West a few days back, it covered quite a large area with a coloured in bit showing where they are expecting to explore.
Brucesta
Posts: 1721
Date Joined: 29/05/09
generally the rules are 500m
generally the rules are 500m away from any offshore installation, regardless of production or exploration, they'd probably be lucky to drill more than 4 wells and they'd be studying the seismec layouts very carefully to see if it is even worth hiring the rigs and vessels to even bother drilling one well.
It's all got to be economically viable first, they may hold the lease and do nothing, it's only this new use it or lose it mentality that is pushing all this grab for permits.
Las Vegas - Rolling the dice and trying your luck. 1M+ Barra summer target. 100kg Black Marlin winter target
NOHA
Posts: 914
Date Joined: 24/06/07
Drill area
As you can see the Permit area WA-368-P comes within 10km of rotto and the shore but the area they are going to drill is just inside direction bank. If you also notice the other 9 wells that have already been drilled by previous explorers. There are more South of Rotto too
Twin turbo..V8 diesel..Ohh what a feeling!!
No Orange Hats Allowed
thesupervisor
Posts: 1136
Date Joined: 10/06/09
are theses 9 previos
are theses 9 previos drilled areas worth fishing at or is it just a pile of mud on the sea bed?
getting the bottom line final answer from a bunch of blokes that use false names and put smiley faces at the end of paragraphs is not the best place in the world to get the information you seek.
NOHA
Posts: 914
Date Joined: 24/06/07
well heads
if there anything like the ones south of rotto.... then the answer is yes
Twin turbo..V8 diesel..Ohh what a feeling!!
No Orange Hats Allowed
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
Probably not even a pile of
Probably not even a pile of mud anymore, its been so long.
saltatrix
Posts: 1081
Date Joined: 30/03/08
That looks like about the 50
That looks like about the 50 metre line. Yeah, panic set in at first word thinking they may prohibit the whole lease to access. 2000 sqkm's if it took off. Naaah
Angling tourism is worth $10 billion to the Australian economy - 90000 jobs; more than any sport; spread the word