EnvironmentPlanSummary

OEUP-V9000-PLN-ENV-007

Enterprise3DSeismicSurvey(OtwayBasin)

EnvironmentPlanSummary

ReviewRecord

Rev / Date / ReasonforIssue / Prepared / Checked / Approved
A / 30/08/13 / Issuedforreview / JB / BM / BM

Onceprinted,thisisanuncontrolleddocumentunlessissuedandstampedControlledCopyorissuedunderatransmittal.

Security: CommercialinConfidence–OriginInternalUse andforsubmissiontoVicDeptofTransportandNOPSEMAonly

Table of Contents

EnvironmentPlanSummary1

TableofContents2

1.Introduction3

2.SeismicSurveyLocation4

3.SeismicAcquisitionMethodology6

4.Summaryof ExistingEnvironment7

4.1PhysicalEnvironment7

4.2BiologicalEnvironment7

4.2.1MammalSpecies8

4.2.2Turtles8

4.2.3Birds8

4.2.4FishSpecies8

4.2.5MarineInvertebrates9

4.3Socio-economicEnvironment9

4.3.1Heritage9

4.3.2OilandGasInfrastructure9

4.3.3Shipping9

4.3.4CommercialFisheries9

4.3.5Tourism9

5.EnvironmentalHazardsandControls10

5.1Acousticdisturbance10

5.2PhysicalPresenceoftheVessel11

5.3ExoticspeciesIntroduction11

5.4RoutineVesselDischarges11

5.5MarineOilSpills12

5.6EquipmentLossintheMarineEnvironment12

6.ManagementApproach15

7.Consultation16

8.Contactdetails17

1.Introduction

OriginEnergyResourcesLimited(Origin)isproposingtoundertaketheEnterprise3-Dimensional(3D)seismicacquisitionsurvey(theEnterpriseseismicsurvey)inVictorianwatersandadjacentCommonwealthwatersintheOtwayBasin.ThesurveyareaiswithinexplorationpermitareaVIC/P42(V),andwouldbeadjacenttothecoastalareabetweenthetownsofPeterboroughandPortCampbell.Asthepermitoperator,Originhasanobligationtoinvestigatethepetroleumpotentialoftheexplorationpermitarea.SeismicsurveyingwillbeconductedtodeterminethepresenceandeconomicviabilityofpotentialhydrocarbonsintheOtwayBasinexplorationpermitareaVIC/P42(V).

OriginhaspreparedanenvironmentalplanfortheEnterpriseseismicsurveyacquisitionactivityproposedtobeundertakenintheexplorationpermitareaVIC/P42(V)inaccordancewithallrelevantStateandCommonwealthlegislationandaddressesthefollowingkeyelements;

compliancewithallapplicablelegislation;

Originsunderstandingofhowtheproposedoperationswillinteractwiththeenvironment;

Measurestoensuretheenvironmentalandothermarineuserimpactsandrisksshallbecontinuouslyreducedtoaslowasreasonablypracticable(ALARP);

thatappropriateperformanceobjectives,standardsandmeasurementcriteriaareinplacetomeasureenvironmentalperformance;and

thesystematicimplementationofcontrolsthathavebeenestablishedtominimiseenvironmentalimpactsandassociatedriskwiththeactivity.

Intheeventtheseismicprogramalterstoincreaseanexistingenvironmentaleffectorrisk,newactivitiesareplanned,orifanewsignificantenvironmentaleffectorriskisidentified,thisplanwillberevisedandresubmittedtotheregulatorsforapprovalinaccordancewiththeOPGGS(E)RegulationsandtheOffshorePetroleumandGreenhouseGasStorageRegulations2011(Victoria).

2.SeismicSurveyLocation

Thesurveywillbeundertaken principallyinVictoriancoastalwaters,withsomeactivitiesalsoundertakeninadjacentCommonwealthwaterswithintheOtwayBasinonthewesternsideofBassStraitoffshorefromPeterboroughandPortCampbell.

Thesurveyacquisitionwilltakeplacebetween1kmand1.4kmtothesouthofthecoastalwaterboundary(Figure2.2–notetheboundaryoftheStatewatersisshowninred).Duetotheturningrequirementsofthesurveyvesselandtheneedtodeployequipmentfurtheroffshore,someoftheseactivitieswilltakealsoplacewithintheCommonwealthmarineareaadjacenttothesurveyarea. Thesurveywillbeconductedinwaterdepths from20mto65m.AreaboundarycoordinatesareprovidedinTable2-1andshowninFigure2.1.

Table 2-1BoundaryCoordinatesfortheProposedSeismicSurveyArea

Latitude / Longitude
Locationpoint / Degrees / Minutes / Seconds / Degrees / Minutes / Seconds
A / -38º / 35' / 22.25" / 142º / 49' / 41.31"
B / -38º / 36' / 12.75" / 142º / 48' / 53.91"
C / -38º / 36 / 34.00” / 142º / 49 / 31.29”
D / -38º / 37' / 05.58" / 142º / 49' / 18.60"
E / -38º / 37' / 36.22" / 142º / 51' / 19.38"
F / -38º / 39' / 50.68" / 142º / 50' / 28.01"
G / -38º / 41' / 23.08" / 142º / 55' / 04.69"
H / -38º / 41' / 12.62" / 143º / 00' / 05.41"
I / -38º / 38' / 41.43" / 143º / 00' / 04.38"
J / -38º / 37' / 28.79" / 142º / 59' / 08.79"

Figure 2.1SchematicrepresentationofproposedEnterpriseseismicsurveylines

Figure 2.2ProposedEnterpriseseismicsurveyarea

3.SeismicAcquisitionMethodology

TheEnterpriseseismicsurveyisplannedtobeacquiredbetween1stNovemberand30thDecember2013or2014.Thesurveywillbeconductedusingapurpose-builtseismicsurveyvesselwithemergencytowandsurveysupportdutiesprovidedbyadedicatedvessel.

Inadditiontotheseismicsurveyvesselandsupportvessel,therewillbetwoguardvesselsonalternatingattendanceschedulestoprovidecontinuoussurveyreconnaissanceandassistwithoperationalsafetybetweentheseismicoperationsandanymarineleisure,commercialand/orfisheriestrafficinthearea.

Thedataacquisitionwillbeconductedusingapurpose-builtseismicsurveyvessel,towingacousticsourcearraysand 4,500mto5,100mlonghydrophonestreamersalongpre-plannedparallelsurveytransects.Theseismicsurveyvesselwilltraversethesurveyareaparalleltothecoastalongdefinedtransectswiththevesselandthetowedspreadavoidingenteringthemarineparkareasthroughrobustsurveyplanningwiththepreferredcontractor.Eachsurveytransectwillbeapproximately13kmto16kminlength.Theparallellineartransectsareevenlyspacedatapproximately200–300mapart(dependingonthecapacityofthevesselselectedtoundertakethework),withthesurveyvesseltraversingeachtransectatapproximately4-5knots(9km/hr).

Thestreamerseparationdistancewillbe100mwithastreamerdepthofbetween7-8m.Thestreamerswillhavedepthcontrollersandemergencyrecoveryunitsnotmorethan300mapart,positioningandlateralsteeringunitsnotmorethan600mapart,andwillbeeitherfoamconstructionorgelfilled.Thestreamerswillbeballastedtoaccountforchangesinbuoyancyduetofreshwaterenteringthecoastalwaterareasfromlocalaquifers.Theindividualacousticsourcevolumewillnotexceed2,500cubicinchesandanoperatingpressureof2,000psi.Theacousticsourcearrayswillbeapproximately50mapartandtowedapproximately150masternofthevesselatadepthofapproximately5–7m,producingsoundenergyatfrequenciesupto250Hz.Thearmouredtowleader,communicationandairdeliveryumbilicalcableforeachsourcewillhavesufficientadditionalbuoysandorbuoyancytopreventthetowleadercablecatenariesfrombeingattheriskoftouchingtheseabedintheshallowerinshoreareaduringacquisitionandturningareas.

Theacousticsourcewilltriggerevery18.75morapproximately8to10secondsinidealcurrentandweatherconditions,alternatingbetweenthetwoacousticsourcearrays,producingimpulsesthatarereflectedfromtheboundariesofthegeologicallayersinthesubsurface.Thereflectiondatawillbedetectedbyhydrophonesinsidethestreamers.Thedataisthenprocessedtoprovideanimageofthesub-surface.

Vesseloperationswilloccur24hoursaday.ThesurveyvesselMasterwillprovidetheAustralianmaritimeauthoritieswitha“NoticetoMariners”outliningtheareaofoperationsandarequestthatallothervesselsprovideclearancearoundthesurveyvesselandequipment.

Intheeventofweatherorseaconditionsinterferingwithseismicoperations,thevesselwouldassesstheconditionsandeithermoveoffshoretoasafedistanceor,Iflikelytobeforanextendedunworkableweatherperiodofmorethan5days,wouldreturntoshelteratPortland.

4.Summary of ExistingEnvironment

4.1PhysicalEnvironment

AspartoftheinterimmarineandcoastalregionalisationforAustralia,theIMCRATechnicalGroup(1998)hasclassifiedtheareawherethesurveyareaislocatedaspartofthemeso-scaleregiondefinedas‘Otway’.

TheclimateintheOtwayisdescribedascooltemperatewithcoolwetwintersandwarmdrysummers.Thecoastlineistypicallyhighenergywithcoolwatertemperaturestypifiedbylocalised,regular,nutrientrichcoastalup wellingsinthewestoftheregion.

Theseabedinthisareaisslopingandconsistsprimarilyofrockyreefsandboulders,withsomeareasofsoftsediment,includingaccumulationsofsandinguttersandcrevices.Thesurveyareacoversthedepthrangesfromapproximately20matthemostnorthern(inshore)boundary,downtoapproximately70matthemostsouthernboundary.InCommonwealthwatersthesurveyacquisitionwouldbeundertakenentirelyinwaterdepthsinexcessof50m.

TheadjacentshorelinesinVictorianStatewatersconsistprincipallyofverticalcliffs,withanarrowintertidalzoneofrockyandsoftsediments,includingverticalseastacks.ThebathymetryintheareaoftheproposedsurveyisshowninFigure2.1and2.2.

IntertidalrockyshoresarethepredominanthabitatfromPortFairytoApolloBay.TheLittoralorIntertidalZoneexistsbetweenthehightideandlowtidelevelsandistypicallydominatedbygrazingsnails,musselsandbarnacles.BelowthelowtidelevelistheSublittoralZoneandthisisoftenalgae-dominatedbychitons,othermolluscsandnumerouscrustaceans.

Victoria’sshallowrockyreefsoccureitherasextensionsofintertidalrockyshoresorasisolatedoffshorereefsandarescatteredfromthelow-watermarktoadepthof20-30metres.Generally,theshallowreefisdominatedbyspeciesofkelpandoneotherbrownseaweed.Otherspecieswhichmayoccurincludeturfalgae,greenalgae,ascidians,bryozoans,echinodermsandsponges.

Deeprockyreefsarefoundinwaterdepthsofgreaterthan20-30m.Atthisdepththealgaefoundonshallowerreefsarereplacedbyinvertebratessuchassponges,bryozoans,corals,seawhipsandascidians.

4.2BiologicalEnvironment

Thepermitlieswithinthesoutheastmarineregion.Thefollowingfaunacanbefoundintheregion:

Thefishfaunaoftheregionconsistsofabout600species,ofwhich85%arebelievedtobeendemic;

Marinemammalsincludingwhalesandseals;

Marineinvertebratesincludediversegroupssuchassponges,crabs,seastars,anemones,octopus,squidandmolluscs;

Morethan20speciesofmigratorybirdsspendtimeintheregion;and littlepenguin.

TheTwelveApostlesMarineNationalParkliestothe eastofthepermitarea,covers7,500haandextendsalong17kmoftheVictoriancoastlineandTheArchesmarinesanctuaryliesapproximately2kmsouthofPortCampbell(seeFigure2.2).

ThetwonearestCommonwealthmarinereserves,theApolloandZeehanareapproximately50kmand120kmrespectivelyfromthenearestpermitboundary.

4.2.1MammalSpecies

Marinemammalsareafeatureoftheregion’s faunaandmayoccurinthevicinityoftheproposedsurvey.Twelvespeciesofcetaceanandtwosealspeciesarelistedashavingthespecies/orspecieshabitatpotentiallyoccurringintheareaoftheproposedseismicacquisitionarea.

Thesurveyhasbeentimedtocoincidewiththeleastprobabilityofencounteringallwhalespecies.

4.2.2Turtles

Twothreatenedreptilespecieswereidentifiedaseitherthespeciesorhabitatlikelytopresentintheproposedsurveyarea.ThethreatenedreptilesincludetheLoggerheadturtle(Carettacaretta),listedasendangeredandtheLeatherbackturtle(Dermochelyscoriacea),listedasendangered.

TheloggerheadturtleisgloballydistributedinsubtropicalwatersandisrarelyseeninVictorianwaters.The leatherbackturtleisanoccasionalvisitortoBassStraitandnomajorleatherbacknestingareashavebeenidentifiedinAustralia.

4.2.3Birds

Atotalof28threatenedbirdspecieswereidentified aspotentiallyoccurringinthesurveyareaandinclude:

15albatrossspecies.

4petrelspecies.

1sea-eagle.

8birdspecies(bitternsandterns),whichareprimarilyterrestrialspeciesbutwhichmayutiliseestuarineandintertidalhabitats.

Theidentifiedalbatrossandpetrelspeciesmaypotentiallyoverflyandforagewithintheproposedsurveyareaandacolonyofapproximately12,000 short-tailedshearwatersnestonMuttonBirdIslandfromSeptembertilAprilandthebirdsmaybefeedingorrestingonthewaterintheareaofthesurveyoperations.

Otherthanthreatenedormigratoryspecies,onlyfour(4)specieswouldbeexpectedtoutilisethemarineorcoastalareas,andincludetheGreatskua(Catharactaskua),Black-facedcormorant(Phalacrocorax fuscescens),Hoodedplover(eastern)(Thinornisrubricollis rubricollis)andtheLittlepenguin(Eudyptulaminor).

Thelittlepenguinisknowntobreedonbeachesandfeedintheareaoftheproposedsurvey.TheclosestcolonytotheseismicsurveyareaistheregionbetweentheTwelveApostlestotheeastoftheproposedsurveyareaandLondonArchjustoffshoreofthecoastbetweenPortCampbellandPeterborough.

4.2.4FishSpecies

Fishspeciesincludebothrecreational(tuna,marlin,andAustraliansalmon)andcommercialspecies(orangeroughly,flathead,flake,andtrevalla)(NOO,2002).Crustaceansandshellfisharealsopresentinthearea,includingthecommerciallyimportantspecies,southernrocklobsterandabalone.

Fourspeciesofshark,thegreatwhiteshark,GreyNurseShark,Makosharkandporbeaglearelistedasoccurringintheregion.

Anadditional29speciesoffish(includingpipefishandseahorsespecies andtheSouthernBluefinTuna)arelistedaspotentiallyoccurringintheareaasmarineorprotectedspecies.

4.2.5MarineInvertebrates

Thereare10protectedspeciesofmarineinvertebrate,including7echinoderms,1chitonand2opisthobranchspecies,whichmaypotentiallybepresentinthesurveyarea.

4.3Socio-economicEnvironment

4.3.1Heritage

ThenearestNationalHeritagePlaceislocatedonshoreinVictoria,beingtheGreatOceanRoadandScenicEnvironmentsatadistanceofapproximately1,200metresfromtheclosestpointoftheprojectarea.

Therearethreehistoricshipwreckswithinthepermitarea,being; TheFallsofHalladale (1908);

Schomberg(1855);and Newfield (1892).

Allofthewrecksaredescribedaslyinginshallowwaterandbeingwellflattened,andnonearewithintheareawhereactiveseismicacquisitionwilltakeplace.

TheproposedEnterprise3DsurveyisremotefromanyWorldHeritageProperty.

4.3.2OilandGasInfrastructure

ThereareanumberofproductionfieldslocatedintheOtwayBasinandincludestheOtwaygasproject,CasinogasprojectandtheMinervagasproject.

Oilandgasunderseapipelinesfromthesethreeprojectspassundertheeasternedgeofthesurveyarea.Theseareclearlymarkedonnavigationalmapsandtherearenoplansforanyequipmentfromthesurveytotouchtheseafloor.Thepipelinesarelocatedunderestablishedshippingchannelsandthesurveywillnotposeanyfurtherrisk.

4.3.3Shipping

BassStraitisoneofAustralia’sbusiestshippingroutes.Commercialvesselsusetheroutewhentransitingbetweenportsontheeast,southandwestcoastsofAustralia.

OriginwillprovidetheAustralianMaritimeSafetyAuthority(AMSA)withinformationallowingissueofa“NoticetoMariners”outliningtheareaofoperationsandarequestthatallothervesselsprovideclearancearoundthesurveyvesselandequipment.

4.3.4CommercialFisheries

ThekeyCommonwealthandstatemanagedcommercialfisheriesoperatinginorneartheEnterprisesurveyareaarethesouthernrocklobster,VictorianeelfisheryandtheVictorianabalonefishery.Twosharkfishermenhaveindicatedthattheyperiodicallyfishthewaters3to5Nmfromshoreinthesurveyarea.

OtherfisheriesdistanttotheSurveyareaincludeTrawlfisheriesforscalefishandshark,demersallonglinefishing,andsquidfisheries.Duetothedistancetothesefisheriesthesurveyisnotexpectedtoimpactthesefisheries.

4.3.5Tourism

Thekeyareasoftourismintheareaincludeland-basedsightseeingfromtheGreatOceanRoadandlookoutsalongtheroad,helicoptersightseeing,privateandcharteredvesselstouringintotheTwelveApostlesMarinePark,divingandfishing.

5.EnvironmentalHazards andControls

Originhasidentified,qualitativelyriskassessedandreviewedtheenvironmentalhazardsassociatedwiththeEnterprise3DSeismicCampaign.

ThemethodologyutilisedisconsistentwiththeAustralianStandardforRiskManagement:AS/NZSISO31000:2000,Originriskmanagementpolicies,proceduresandtoolkitsandNOPSEMA’sguidancenotesregardingenvironmentplans.TwoworkshopswereheldbetweenFebruaryandNovember2012withenvironmental,safetyandseismicsurveyexperts,takingintoaccountinformationreceivedduringstakeholderconsultationandfromfisheriesandcetaceanexpertadvisors.Thereviewsconsideredthespecificenvironmentalaspects,causesandpotentialimpactsonenvironmentalvalues.Theriskassessmenthasalsobeenbasedon:

previousseismicprojectsbyOriginintheregionandlessonslearned; theactivitiesproposedforEnterprise3Dseismicproject;

considerationoftheseismicacquisitiontechnologytobeused;

knowledgeofthereceivingenvironment,withparticularemphasisonsensitiveenvironmentalaspectsoftheprojectarea;

ongoingconsultationandliaisonswithstakeholderstomitigaterisks;

alternativesrelatingtothetypesofvessel,timingofthesurvey,seismicmethodologyandsourcevolumewerealltakenintoconsideration.

KeyenvironmentalHazardsidentifiedintheHazardworkshopsaredescribedbelow,alongwitha discussionofthecontrolsimplementedtoreducetheassociatedrisk to theenvironment.PotentialenvironmentalimpactsandcontrolsaresummarisedinTable5-1.

5.1Acousticdisturbance

Themainpotentialimpactrelatedtotheproposedactivityisacousticdisturbancecausedbytheseismicsource.Thelocationofthesurveyissubjecttoveryhighambientnoiselevelsasaresultofwind,wavesandsurfaction.NoiseloggersplacedintheWarrnamboolcoastalregionandnearbyoffshoresitesovera7monthperiodidentifiedthatthehighestproportionoftimeathighnoiselevelsandmoreperiodsofhighnoiseoccurredatthecoastalsites.Modellingundertakenindicatedthatthepeakacousticpressuresproducedforallseismicsourcesaresmallerthanthoseproducedbythemeanannualwaveheightandcorrespondingwaveperiodneartheshoreline.

Controlswillbeimplementedtominimisetheriskofacousticdisturbancetomarine speciesandhumanstoan acceptablelevelthatisconsideredaslowasreasonablypossibleandthesurveyhasbeentimedtominimisethelikelihoodofencounterswithallwhalespecies.Originwillconductthesurveyusingthesmallestsuitableacousticsource,abletoimagethetargetdepthareaofinterestandwillbeconductedusingamethodtominimisetheoveralltimerequiredforthesurvey.Gradualincreaseintheseismicsourcevolume fornolessthan30minwillallowanymobilemarinefaunatomoveawaywhilethesourcevolumeislow.Qualifiedmarinemammalobserverswillbeondutyduringdaylighthours.

DuetotheproximityofthesurveytotheshoreOriginconsultwithallknowndivingclubs,representativeorganisationsanddiveshopsinVictoriatoprovideinformationonthepotentialhazardsofunderwaternoiseondiversandinformationonthelocationandtimingofthesurvey.Additionally,signagewillbepostedatidentifiedpotentialaccesspointsandsupportvesselswillaccompanytheseismicsurveyvesselatalltimesandwillprovideliaisonwithanyrecreationalvesselsinthearea.

5.2PhysicalPresence of theVessel

TheproposedEnterprisesurveywillutiliseaSeismicvessel,asupportvesselandaguardvessel.Evenwithobserversthereisstillarisktomarinemammals.ThetimingofthesurveytoNovember/December,aperiodwhenthereistheleastlikelihoodofwhalespeciesbeingpresentinthevicinityofthesurvey.Furthercontrolsincludetheuseoftowedmarinestreamersratherthanseabednodesorcables,toreducethetimerequiredforacquisitionasfaraspossibleandtheuseofaslow,consistenttowpatternintheareawillallowmarinefaunatomoveawayfromthevessel.

Thedesignofthetowedequipment,withsolidorfoamfilledstreamersandthedesignofthetailbuoys,minimizesanyriskofentanglement.

Consultationwillcontinuewithpeakstakeholderorganisationsforfisheriesandshipping,andlocalvesselcharteroperators,includingongoingconsultationandcommunicationtoinformthemoftheexactsurveydatesoncetheseareestablishedwiththemarineseismiccontractorandsignagewillbeerectedatboatrampsinthearea tonotifypeoplelaunchingrecreationalvesselsofthesurveyactivitiesandrequestingthemtomaintainasafedistance.

Duringthesurvey,ifothervesselsaresighted,standardmaritimeprotocolsandprecautionswillbeinplacetoprovideadequatedistancetoavoidvesselcollisions.Acontinuouswatchwillbemaintained(visual,radar,AISandradio)andradiocontactwillbemadewithothervesselsapproachingthearea.Thesupportvesselandguardvesselswillalsobeusedto liaisewithanyothervesselsintheareaandensurethatasafedistanceismaintained.

Thepresenceoftheseismicvesselmaytemporarilydisruptcommercialandrecreationalfishingactivitiesintheimmediateareaasaresultoftheneedtoensurenavigational safetyforboththeseismicvessel,towedequipmentandothervesselsinthearea.Thetemporaryexclusionoffixedbottomtosurfacefloatsandfishinggear(e.g.lobsterpots)intheseismicareawouldalsoberequiredtoavoidtheriskofentanglementanddamagetofishingandortowedmarineseismicequipment.

Thevesselwillbepresentinthesurveyworkingareaoveraperiodofapproximately5to14daysdependingonweatherconditions foracquiringseismicdata,andtheareawillbeimmediatelyavailableforaccessbyfishingoperatorsattheconclusionofthesurvey.

5.3ExoticspeciesIntroduction

TheEnterprisesurveyvesselswillhavenorequirementtodischargewaterballastorsedimentintothemarineenvironment duringthenormalcourseofthesurveyoperations.Thevesselsusedintheoperationarekeptasfreeaspossibleofmarinegrowththroughtheuseofantifoulingpaintsandthevesselhullsarecleanedduringout-of-watersurveys.

5.4RoutineVesselDischarges

Allgarbage,otherthanfoodwastes,willberetainedonboardthevesselsandtheonlyriskofplasticsenteringtheoceanisasaresultofaccidentallossoverboard. Managementpracticessuchasdesignatedgarbagestorageandsecurestorageareaswillbeinplacethroughoutthesurveytominimisetheriskofanyaccidentaldischargeofwasteasfaraspossible.Allvesselswillberequiredtoholdawastemanagementplan.

SewagedischargesatseawillonlybemadeinstrictaccordancewithMARPOLandAustralianmaritimepollutionregulationswithrespecttodistancefromlandandtreatmentprovisions.

Wherethereareoperationaldischargesfromvesselsengagedintheproject,thesewillbeinaccordancewithMARPOL73/78(Annex1 –Oil,AnnexIV–Sewage,AnnexV –GarbageandAnnexVI–Air)includingthestandardsandcertificationofallonboardpollutioncontrolequipmentandmaintenanceofrecordsrelatingtowastemanagementanddisposal.

5.5MarineOilSpills

Marineoilspillsmayoccurduringrefuellingorasaresultofdamagetovesselbunkertanksfromcollisionorgrounding.Alesserpotentialsourceofmarineoilspillsisleaksofhydraulicorlubricatingoilsonboardthevessel.Anyrefuellingoperationsrequiredwilloccuronlyataportfacilitywheretherearepermanentfacilitiestoadequatelymanagetherefuellingandtransferprocesswithminimalenvironmentalrisk.Refuellingoperationswillbeinfullaccordancewiththevesselandrefuellingcontractor’sbunkeringprocedurestominimiseanyriskofaspill.Therewillbenoship-to-shipfueltransfersduringthesurvey.

Theriskofcollisioniscontrolledthroughthegenerallyslowoperatingspeedofthevessel,thecontinuouspresenceofthesupportandguardvessels,NoticestoMarinersinthearea,avoidanceofoperationsinpoorweatherorseaconditions,avoidingoperationsinshallowwater,andtheadditionallevelofwatchkeepingassociatedwiththeseismicoperations.

AllvesselswillhaveacurrentShipboardOilPollutionEmergencyPlan(SOPEP)orequivalentandwillbecarryingspillcontainmentkits,whichwillaidinimmediatecontainmentandclean-upofanyreleasesonthedeckduringmachinerymaintenance(e.g.dieselorlubricatingoils)orrefuellinginport.

AProjectspecificOilSpillContingencyPlan(OSCP)hasbeendevelopedinconsultationwithStateandCommonwealthcombatagencies.

5.6Equipment Loss in theMarineEnvironment

Controlmeasurestoavoidandminimisetheriskoflostequipmentwillincludetheuseofnavigationalcontrols,solidfoambasedstreamersthatwillnotsinkifreleased,industrystandardandcertifiedtowingequipmentandmaintenanceprocedurestoensureallequipmentinmaintainedtoahighstandardHighvisibilityequipmentandflotationdevicesonallequipmentandtheavailabilityofaworkboatandsupportvesselswillassistinequipmentrecoveryifrequired.

Table5-1SummaryofpotentialimpactsandcontrolmeasuresfortheEnterprise3Dseismicsurvey

ImpactCategory / PotentialImpacts / Controlandmitigationmeasures
Acousticimpacts / Potentialforphysicalorbehaviouraldisturbancetomarinemammals(particularlywhales)asaresultofacousticdisturbance.
Potentialfortemporarydisplacementoffish,impactingoncommercialfisheriesintheimmediatearea.
Potentialimpacttohumansastheareaisnearshoreandarecreationalareafordiversandfisherman / Surveywillbetimedtominimisethelikelihoodofencounterswithwhales. Useofthelowestpossiblesourcevolumesuitableforacquisitionofthesurvey.
Surveymethodisselectedtoreducetheactualtimethevesselneedstobeintheareatocompletethesurvey.
Contactisbeingmaintainedwithany divechartersandsignagewillbepostedatboatrampsandaccesspoints.Asupportvesselwillbeonhandatalltimestofacilitatecommunicationwithothermarineuserswhoentertheseismicarea.
Gradualincreaseofthesourcevolumeoveraperiodofnotlessthan30minutesallowsforanymobilemarinefaunatomoveawayfromthesoundsourcewhileitisatlowvolume.
Observation,low-powerandshutdownzonesasprescribedbyDSEWPaCforwhale.
VesselPresence / Potentialforvesselstriketomarinefauna
Potentialforentanglementofmarinefaunainsurveyequipment
Interference/interactionwithfisheriesorothermarineusers. / Surveywillbetimedtominimisethelikelihoodofencounterswithwhales.Equipmentdesigntoreducetheriskofentanglement.
Tailbuoysonthestreamerswillbefittedwithturtleguardstominimisetheriskofentanglementofmarinefauna.
Vesselspeedsduringthesurveywillbeslow,minimisingtheriskofvesselstrike.
Dedicatedworkboatandsupportvesselwillbeavailableatalltimesfor immediatedeploymenttofreeanyentangledfauna andorrecoverlostequipment.
Directconsultationwithfishingoperatorsintheregion.
Asupportvesselwillbeonhandatalltimestofacilitatecommunicationwithothermarineuserswhoentertheseismicarea.
TrainedMMOswillbeondutyduringalldaylightsurveyacquisitionoperations.
Exoticspeciesintroduction / Pest/pathogenestablishmentinthesurveyareaPotentiallossofincometofisheries.
Potentialimpacttonativemarinefloraandfauna / Vesselhullcleaning,antifoulingandinspectionhistory.
Noballastwaterwillbereleasedinto thesurveyarea.ThevesselwillatalltimescomplywithAustralianQuarantineregulations.
SupportandGuardvesselslocaltothearea
RoutineVessel / Marinepollutionfromfloatingdebris / Wastemanagementplanonallvessels.
Discharges / Contaminationofthemarineenvironment / AlldischargesinaccordancewithMARPOL73/78anddomesticregulations.IMOapprovedpollutioncontrolequipment.
MarineOilSpills / Pollutionimpactsonmarinefaunaandimpactstoshoreline
Impactsonothermarineusersandcommercialfisheries / Noship-to-shipfueltransfers.Bunkeringonlyatlicensedshorefacilities.
SOPEPandOSCPuptodateandexercised.SignedoffbyAMSA,StatecombatagenciesandAMOSC.
Useoflightfuelifatallpossible.
Operationswillbesuspendedinunfavourableweatherandseaconditions.Navigationalsafetymeasures,liaisonwithothermarineusers.
EquipmentLoss / Potentialforentanglementwithmarinefaunaorothermarineusers. / Supportvesselsandworkboatonhandtorecoverequipment.
Lightsandradarreflectorsontailbuoystominimiselikelihoodofvesselinteractions.
Industrystandardcertified,plannedmaintenanceroutinesandapprovedproceduresandprotocolstominimiseriskofloss.
Equipmentdesignfacilitatesrecoveryiflost.

6.ManagementApproach

Thesurveywillbemanagedinaccordancewith:

theOriginEnterprise3DSeismicSurveyEnvironmentPlanacceptedbyNOPSEMAundertheOffshorePetroleumandGreenhouseGasStorage(Environment)Regulations2009;

theparticularmannerprescribedinEPBCReferralstillunderconsiderationbyDSEWPaC;

allrelevantenvironmentalandsafetylegislation;and

Origin’sHealthSafetyandEnvironmentManagementSystem.

TheacceptedEnvironmentPlandefinesanddetailsobjectives,standardsandcriteriawithresponsetoallpotentialenvironmentalimpactsfromthesurveyactivity.Thesearesupportedbysystems,practicesandprocedurestodirect,reviewandmanagethesurveyactivitiesandtocontinuallyreducethepotentialforenvironmentalharmtoaslowasreasonablypracticableinallcases.TheacceptedEnvironmentPlanalsoidentifiesrolesandresponsibilities,trainingandcompetencyrequirementsandmeasuresforimplementationofcontrols,managingnon-compliance,emergencyresponseandmonitoring,auditingandreportingthroughouttheProject.

TheEnvironmentPlanshallbeimplementedbyOriginworkingtogetherwiththeselectedseismicoperator,withday-to-dayimplementationoccurringontheseismicvesselundertheleadershipofthePartyChiefandtheOriginOffshoreRepresentative.TheOriginProjectManagerwillhaveoversightoftheperformanceoftheprojectagainsttheEnvironmentPlanandwillinitiatereviewsandauditsasrequired.Intheeventofavesselincident,theOriginEmergencyResponseTeamwillworktogetherwithHSE,technicaladvisorsandgovernmentcombatagenciesasrequiredtorespond.

7.Consultation

ConsultationonthisprojectbeganinMay2012aspartofthedevelopmentofthisEnvironmentPlan.OriginmaintainsrelationswithstakeholdergroupsintheOtwayregionandhasconsultedontheEnterpriseprojectwithpotentiallyinterestedgroups.Theseinclude;

Commonwealth,stateandlocalgovernmentrepresentingprimaryindustry,environmentandmaritimeusers;

FisheriesPeakBodies,representativegroupsandindividualoperatorsfromApolloBay,PortCampbell,PortFairy,WarrnamboolandPortland.Fisheriesrepresentedincludedrocklobster,Trawl,eel,andsquidfisheries;and

Community,tourismrepresentatives,environmentalrepresentativegroupsandnon-governmentorganisations.

TheVictorianpopulationhasanactiveinterestinreportsofoilandgasexplorationundertakenwithinthestateandtheoffshoreenvironment.Consultationhasidentifiedthatthekeymarineusersintheareawhomaybeimpactedbytheproposedsurveyarecommercialfishermen.

Ongoingconsultationwithmarinestakeholdersincludes:

Issueofanupdatedfactsheetgivingthespecificsofthedates,vesselandmethodsonceallregulatoryapprovalshavebeenissued;

Disseminatinginformationaboutthesurveythroughlocalcommunitygroupsandmedia;

DisseminatinginformationaboutthesurveythroughSeafoodIndustryVictoria,forinclusionintheirmonthlynewsletters;

Maintaininga24/7contactnumberforanyonewithquestionsorconcernsabouttheproject;

Issueofnoticestomariners;

Communicationofrocklobsterresearchresultstocommercialfishingrepresentativeagenciesandgovernmentstakeholders.

8.Contactdetails

JohnOxleyCentre–NorthTower339CoronationDrive

Milton4064

TelephoneNumber:0730377219

Email: ntactPerson:RobertMeagher