Australia regulator the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (Nopsema) has rejected BP’s application to drill in the Great Australian Bight after claiming it fell short of environmental standards.
Nopsema carried out a thorough assessment and concluded that the environment plan does not meet the criteria for acceptance under the environment regulations.
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However, the regulator said that it will evaluate the company’s modified plan should it be submitted again.
Nopsema said as under law, BP has to provide a reasonable opportunity to the company to amend the environment plan.
The oil major submitted an environment plan to Nopsema for assessment on 1 October, proposing exploration drilling in the Great Australian Bight.
BP’s proposal to drill in the remote region attracted opposition from environmental groups as they were worried about the potential for another incident after the Gulf of Mexico oil spill that happened in 2010.
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By GlobalDataNopsema CEO Stuart Smith said: "The environmental assessment process requires BP to undertake a comprehensive risk assessment and clearly demonstrate to Nopsema how they will manage the environmental impacts and risks of their proposed activity in order for their environment plan to be accepted."
"Ensuring that BP has considered and addressed stakeholder concerns is an important part of Nopsema’s environmental assessment process."
