A recent spate of dangerous fossil gas and oil incidents off WA is illustrating the contempt the fossil fuel energy industry is showing Australia and its people.
But the shocking state of the industry is going largely unreported.
Multinational companies that have been ripping off Australians with high prices are apparently failing to conduct safety tests and are neglecting old infrastructure, leading to serious safety breaches and the risk of explosions and massive oil spills.
The offshore energy regulator, the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA), has been issuing shut down and other orders over the past couple of months, as the industry goes rogue and apparently throws caution to the wind.
- A possible breach of “containment” due to poor maintenance that could have led to an explosion and oil spill was avoided when NOPSEMA ordered the shut down of the Wandoo A and Wandoo B platforms owned by the multinational Vermillion energy firm in late December.
- A 2500 tonne, 83 metre largely submerged steel tower owned by Woodside is sinking just 16km from Ningaloo Reef. The riser turret mooring, which likely contains toxic chemicals, has been left to rot for years by a company which clearly doesn’t want to pay for its removal. NOPSEMA says it is investigating whether the poor maintenance of the tower is a breach of the law. Woodside is reported to want to sink the tower just 2km from Ningaloo Reef. (Read today’s WA Today report by Peter Milne).
- A drilling rig in a marine conservation reserve off the Pilbara coast was ordered to close in November because it was in danger of exploding or creating a massive oil slick. Noble Contracting’s Liberian-registered Tom Prosser rig, was situated in Alpha Island’s Horseshoe Lagoon — part of the Montebello Islands marine conservation reserve about 75km off the Pilbara coast.
- Santos’ John Brookes platform off Karratha will be shut down for another two weeks after NOPSEMA ordered the operators to shut the platform down after a dangerous methane leak was detected.
- Last year dolphins were killed when about 25,000 litres of oil leaked from a hose the Santos company used to load a tanker. According to the report, photos viewed recently show dolphins floating belly-up near the tanker Catalan Sea and a sheen of oil on the water.
Friends of the Earth Offshore Fossil Gas Campaigner Jeff Waters said it is only a matter of time before industry neglect and disrespect leads to an explosion and massive oil spill.
“Orders by the regulator against these war-profiteering companies are gathering pace,” Jeff Waters said.
“Thank goodness NOPSEMA appears to be doing its job, and keeping the workers and environment safe.”
“But clearly this industry needs a bigger stick to its back,” Jeff Waters said.
“They should be slapped with massive fines for any safety breach.”
“The Federal Government needs to take the lead on this issue, because WA state politicians are clearly lining up for well-paid jobs in the industry when they leave Parliament.”
Jeff Waters said media silence on the issue was baffling.
“It’s becoming clear that 7West media, just like the WA state government, has been captured by the fossil gas industry and helps it along by keeping the electorate uninformed about this rogue industry and its misbehaviour,” he said.
“It’s an emerging problem with several news organisations in the west, with WA Today being an admirable exception.”
“When are they going to grow a set and take this industry on? What are they scared of?”
