Athena Supply Project Environment Plan
OVERVIEW
As natural gas from existing subsea wells begins to run out, replacement subsea gas will need to be identified from prospective gas resources to meet East Coast demand. We are planning to drill 3 exploration wells in the Otway Basin of the Victorian coastline proximate to our existing production area. The Athena Supply Project (ASP) is a project that, in a successful case, may help meet domestic customer demand, with demand forecast to exceed supply for some time. Alternatives to locally supplied gas include LNG import terminals which come at a significantly higher cost and with a much higher emissions profile.
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Activity detail
This takes you to a project overview
Looking at a map so I can see where the wells will be drilled
This should aid in identifying any potential direct impacts on your functions, interests or activities
Environmental impacts and risks
This takes you to the top of the environmental impacts and risks section, and you can scroll through a summary of each
I want to look at specific impacts and risks
Select an area of interest and find an overview of those impacts and risks, and the controls we put in place. If you need more information to better understand how your functions, interests or activities could be affected, please let us know via webforms on this site or direct to stakeholder@cooperenergy.com.au
Displacement
What temporary or permanent access issues might affect my interests?
Seabed disturbance
How will the activities impact the seabed?
Underwater sound
How does sound affect marine life?
Greenhouse gases
Invasive marine species
Accidental release of hydrocarbons
How do we assess greenhouse gas emissions?
How do we ensure we don't introduce IMS into new areas?
How do we respond in the unlikely event of an accidental relase of hydrocarbons?
Other aspects include light emissions, other atmospheric emissions, planned discharges, unplanned interactions with marine fauna, dropped objects and unplanned waste. If you have specific concerns about how these might affect your functions, interests or activities, please conact us and we will provide further information. You can use the form at the bottom of the page, or email us at stakeholder@cooperenergy.com.au
Activity Detail
We are currently preparing the Athena Supply Project Environment Plan (EP) and using offshore studies, consultants, published research, government plans, and feedback from the community to understand the values and sensitivities of the environments in which we work. We are consulting before submitting the EP to the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) for assessment. If you have information we should consider in our EP, please get in touch with us.
The table below shows examples of the types of common interests associated with categories of relevant persons. The topics that require a higher level of evaluation by the regulator and those highlighted through previous consultation are expanded further down this page. Please click on the ‘X’ at the intersections most relevant to you to jump to that section.
If you are interested in topics not expanded below (e.g., light, discharges, waste), please contact us. When the EP is released for public comment, more details on all topics will be available.
Below are key details of the petroleum activity proposed within the ASP:
Please get in touch if you think our activities might affect your functions, interests or activities: We would like to connect with a wide range of people to help inform the environmental management of this project. If you identify yourself as a relevant person, please fill in the form below and we will be in touch to discuss your areas of interest, understand more about you and how best to continue the conversation and consultation.
Share direct feedback: If you would like to share some feedback directly please use the form at the bottom of the page, or simply email stakeholder@cooperenergy.com.au.
Stay in Touch: If you would like to be added to our mailing list, please add your details at the bottom of the page.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND RISKS?
These sections describe the typical impacts and risks of primary concern for these activities, and the associated control measures.
Displacement
Activities
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MODU and support vessel operations: Presence will be temporary with vessels mobilised from Portland or Melbourne
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Permanent presence of up to 3 wells likely each encompassed by a 500m PSZ. Figure below shows indicative well top-hole locations. The final well locations may vary by up to 500m to accommodate seabed features and engineering constraints that are identified at the survey stage.
Impacts
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Changes to the functions, interests and activities of other marine users
Controls
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Temporary Exclusion Zones will be communicated via Notice to Mariners
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Fisheries damages protocol
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Ongoing consultation and notification
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Marine assurance process
Indicative well top-hole locations
Seabed disturbance
Activities:
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MODU positioning: Temporary anchors and grounded chain within sea country proximate to Eastern Maar and Gunditjmara people
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Support vessel operations: Pre-lay of anchors within sea country proximate to Eastern Maar and Gunditjmara people
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ROV operations: Disturbance from ROV flying close to seabed
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Drilling of up to three wells: Generated drill cuttings (i.e. rock and natural material from the well) deposited locally to seabed
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Cementing operations: Cement job excess may be deposited locally to seabed
Impact
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Change in benthic habitat
Risks
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Risk of injury / mortality to marine fauna
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Change to cultural heritage
Controls
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Planned maintenance system
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Offshore work procedures
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Marine assurance process
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Underwater Cultural Heritage Disturbance Risk Management Process
Seabed bathymetry in the Otway basin
Underwater sound
Activities:
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MODU operation: Continuous sound through general operations and utilisation of thrusters when and as required for moving and holding position. Indicative MODU is shown below 1.
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Support vessel operation: Continuous sound through propeller and thrusters when moving and holding position. Indicative support vessel is shown below.
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ROV operations
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Drilling operations: Equipment vibrations and the rotating drill string will produce noise at each well location.
Impact
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Change in ambient sound
Risk
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Behavioural change in marine fauna (marine mammals, marine turtles, fish)
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Auditory impairment (marine fauna)
Controls
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Victoria Whale Disturbance Risk Management Procedure
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Marine Assurance Process
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Offshore Operational Procedures
Greenhouse gases
Activities:
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Well clean-up and flowback: Direct emissions are generated when the well is flowed to remove contaminants with gas sometimes returned to the MODU. This gas is flared for safety purposes which is estimated to take approximately 1 day per well.
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MODU and support vessel operations: The MODU and support vessel generate direct emissions by their use of diesel or gas to generate power for operation. Indirect emissions are generated through the purchase of products such as cement and the waste generated.
Impacts
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Increase in GHG emissions
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Change in climate systems
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Change in ecosystems
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Change in Socio-economic factors
Controls
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Marine assurance process
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Cooper energy emissions reduction protocol
Indicative Support Vessel
"Far Statesman, Fremantle, 2018 (04)" by Bahnfrend is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Invasive Marine Species
Activities
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Ballast water adjustments by MODU and / or support vessels to maintain stability.
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Biofouling by MODU and / or support vessel through IMS presence on submerged surfaces
Risk
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IMS transferred into field, establishes and spreads.
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IMS is transferred between vessels, establishes and spreads to other areas.
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IMS is transferred out of the field and establishes outside the region and spreads.
Controls
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IMS Risk Management Protocol
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Australian Biofouling Management Requirements
Indicative IMS present in Portland Victoria Otway - Asian Date Mussel
"asian date mussel, asian mussel, asiatische miesmuschel, aziatische mossel, bag mussel" by Javier is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Accidental hydrocarbon release
An accidental hydrocarbon release could result in ecological effects at locations between Cape Nelson and Wye River
Activities
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Well construction (drilling)
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Vessels providing support operations
Risk
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Loss of well control, releasing gas and condensate
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Vessel collision resulting in release of marine diesel oil (MDO)
Controls
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Marine exclusion and caution zones
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Pre-start notifications (notices to mariners)
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MARPOL compliance
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Accepted well operations management plan (WOMP)
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Accepted safety cases
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Source control emergency response (SCERP)
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Oil pollution emergency plan (OPEP)
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Operational and scientific monitoring plan (OSMP)
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The OSMP establishes a monitoring program that can be scaled over an extensive area from Cape Jaffa in SA, to Moruya Heads in NSW, and down along the western coast of Tasmania.
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CONTACT US
We invite you to join our network and engage with us regarding our activities.
To find out more about Cooper Energy or our activities please contact us through the webform. We are keen to hear from people and organisations with functions, activities or interests within the areas we operate and to discuss how we interact and find out how we can work together.
Level 8, 70 Franklin Street, Adelaide, South Australia
Page last updated April 2024
08 8100 4900