Gas find renews South West mining fears

EP480, which extends south from North Mandurah to Lake Preston, and EP416, stretching from Lake Preston to just north of Brunswick, are two exploratory gas mining leases majority owned by Pilot Energy Pty Ltd.

The company has has been contracting geological surveys of the area to find untapped gas reservoirs, with the aim of supplying the domestic West Australian gas market.

A recent survey by RISC Operations has shown between two layers of sandstone, a potential of up to 1595 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of gas is mineable – 625Bcf from the Sue Sandstone layer, and 970Bcf form the Leseur Sandstone layer.

The discovery has been called one of the most significant inland gas discoveries in the state’s history.

The project has drawn attention as well for its proximity and potential connectivity to the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline, the key piece of infrastructure to the South West’s natural gas distribution system.

Greens candidate for the South West Diane Evers said many residents in local communities were apprehensive about what the discovery would mean for their region.

"We are obviously very concerned, because from what we've heard the mines involved have had very little consultation with the residents they are potentially affecting," Ms Evers said.

"It is my position and The Greens’ position that this whole plan is flawed. Southern WA has traditionally been a mining region, yes, but it is time we moved beyond that. We’ve had enough resources pulled out of the ground, and it hasn't left us much better. It's time we looked at alternatives."

Ms Evers, an outspoken opponent of the gas mining industry in the South West, sees the growing trend towards environmental activism in the area as a response to both the industry and the State's two major parties.

"I think it's a sign that people have had enough with how the whole issue is being handled," she said.

"South West residents take a lot of pride in their natural surroundings, as they should, and it has galvanised into this movement.

The mining industry has spent years and years telling residents fracking isn't dangerous, the processes used in gas shale mining aren’t dangerous.

"But they can't guarantee it will be safe, especially near water sources. People have seen Queensland, they've seen what fracking can do around the world, they're clued up."

Pilot Energy managing director Iain Smith said the closeness of the gas reserve to the surface, as well as the porosity and permeability of the covering rock, meant the gas would be relatively easy to mine and would not require unconventional processes such as fracking.

“The Leschenault gas prospect is a conventional gas prospect and, as such, if the prospect is eventually proven to be gas-bearing we expect the gas to flow to surface naturally,” he said.

“Pilot Energy’s business model is to explore for conventional gas and oil reservoirs only - i.e. those reservoirs that do not require any form of artificial stimulation (such as fracking) to generate production.

“We do not see any commercial potential for unconventional gas resources within EP416 and EP480, and have no intention to implement fracking.”

Concern was raised last year over a fault in bedrock within the permit area, however Mr Smith said an in-depth survey scheduled for later this year would likely show it would not threaten the safety of the mining process.

“Subject to finalising environmental and land access permitting, Pilot is preparing to conduct a passive geochemical survey over a large subsurface structure that may possibly be gas-bearing,” he said. 

“There is no risk associated with the fault.”

Mr Smith also reassured local farmers they would retain all land access rights during any potential drilling.

“If a discovery is made at our prospect, the development footprint would be small and Pilot would negotiate with relevant landowners, subject to the usual regulatory framework,” he said.

Despite reassurances, residents around the permit area continue to be wary of the growing number of explorations happening in the region.

Spokesperson for community group Gasfield Free Harvey, Carol Carlisle, said the gas find raised more questions than it answered and the community was extremely concerned that it was being kept in the dark about plans for a major gas development in the region.

“We are a farming region and our productive land, clean air and clean water is what makes this region so vibrant and healthy,” Ms Carlisle said.

“Gas mining is incompatible with existing industries and our desire to protect our valuable water resources and the health of our children.

“There has been absolutely no community consultation about what the companies and the state government plan to do with this gas. We are left to do our own research about an issue that will have a major impact on our community, way of life and land values.”

The Whicher Range, located about 20km south of Busselton, has served as a stark reminder to locals.

Home to a range of endemic rare flora and fauna, the range has been identified as ecologically fragile by a number of organisations, including the Environmental Protection Authority.

However previous fracking efforts were less than perfect: it was reported in 2004 up to 1.2 million litres of diesel were used as fracking fluid when mining the range, while further surveys of the area have been watched with close eyes.

“We understand from our own research that the gas find is similar to gas found in the Whicher Range near Margaret River, and we know that gas to be an unconventional gas known as tight gas, and that there have been all sorts of issues with the companies trying to get that gas out of the ground,” Ms Carlisle said.

“We know that the Whicher Range was fracked in 2004 using diesel as the fracking fluid and that that technique failed. More than 500,000 litres of diesel waste is still trapped down the well in a priority one drinking water area. That mess has never been cleaned up.

“We are urging our community members to Lock the Gate to the gas industry at least until we have full and frank disclosure about what is planned and what it means for our lives, land, water and health.”