Gas giant first company approved for onshore shale gas exploration drilling by Gunner Government

A PROMINENT gas giant is the first company to be approved for onshore shale gas exploration drilling by the Gunner Government. SEE WHERE THE NO GO ZONES ARE HERE.

Graeme Sawyer at an anti-fracking rally outside Parliament in February. Picture: Will Zwar

SANTOS is the first mining and exploration company to have its Environment Management Plan (EMP) for Onshore Shale Gas Exploration Drilling approved by the Gunner Government in the McArthur Basin.

Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics, Eva Lawler said EMP clears the way for Santos to advance its onshore gas plans for the Beetaloo Basin.

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She said the Santos McArthur Basin EP 161 Drilling Program 2019 EMP received 22 submissions as a result of the public consultation process, resulting in Santos submitting a revised plan.

She said the revised EMP addressed the wastewater management plan and spill management plan, ensuring that environmental risks will be controlled and reduced to a level that is as low as reasonably practical and acceptable.

In conjunction with Mrs Lawler’s announcement Resource Minister Paul Kirby revealed the no go zones for onshore shale gas exploration drilling in the Territory.

He said action will be taken to declare immediate no-go zones. Further consultations and negotiations will be undertaken with stakeholders, including Traditional Owners, to determine whether they want to declare areas within Aboriginal Land as no-go zones.

“The Katherine town municipality area and the Alice Springs municipality have all been declared no go zone areas as have areas around towns and homesteads as well,” he said.

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”There is also a body of work that has been done to implement a regime on compliance and monitoring of operations through the Northern Territory as company’s get started up and down the track.”

The formal establishment of the no-go zones under the Petroleum Act will occur in a staged process, with 49 per cent of the Territory identified to be protected from petroleum activity.

Action will be taken to declare immediate no-go zones. No go zones, or reserved blocks, in the Northern Territory (NT) are being declared in four stages known as tranches..

https://nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/715626/declaration-table-tranches.pdf