Question On Notice No. 3230 asked in the Legislative Council on 22 September 2020 by Hon Robin Chapple
Question Directed to the: Minister for Regional Development representing the Minister for Mines and Petroleum
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
Tabled Paper No: 4508-
View tabled paper
Question
I refer to the activities of the petroleum exploration company known as New Standard Energy (NSE) Pty Ltd, also known as New Standard Onshore (NSO) Pty Ltd, and ask:
(a) which company, or companies, currently legally hold Exploration Permits (EPs) 417, 443, 450, 451, 456 and 481 in the Canning Basin;
(b) which company, or companies, legally held those same EPs in:
(i) 2008;
(ii) 2011;
(iii) 2014; and
(iv) 2017;
(c) which company is currently legally responsible for each of the four petroleum exploration wells known as Lawford-1, Lanagan-1, Gibb-Maitland-1 and Nicolay-1;
(d) what is the Minister’s understanding of the relationship between New Standard Energy Pty Ltd and New Standard Onshore Pty Ltd;
(e) are those companies still legally registered and operating in Western Australia;
(f) what is the street address for each company named in (a) and (d);
(g) on what dates in 2018 did the Department of Mining, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) issue NSE or NSO with Directions Notices in relation to its Woodward-1, Blatchford-1, Condon-1, Nicolay-1 and Gibb-Maitland-1 wells and sites:
(i) will the Minister table each of the Directions Notices referred to in (g); and
(ii) if no to (g)(i), why not;
(h) what was the deadline for compliance action given for each of the Directions Notices referred to in (d);
(i) since the Directions Notices, referred to in (d), were issued, has the company taken any on-ground action to comply with them:
(i) if yes to (i), what actions, against whom and when; and
(ii) if no to (i), why not;
(j) since the deadline passed, has any further compliance enforcement action been undertaken in relation to those wells and sites referred to in (c) and (g):
(i) if yes to (j), what action, against whom and when; and
(ii) if no to (j), why not;
(k) has the Department commenced prosecution under the Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources Act 1967, in relation to failure to comply with any of the Directions Notices issued to NSE or NSO:
(i) if yes to (k), what is the current status of the prosecution; and
(ii) if no to (k), why not;
(l) given that the Department estimated in February 2019 that the cost of properly closing and rehabilitating the Nicolay-1 well and site was $1.5 million, what is the current cost estimate for the rehabilitation of that well and site;
(m) what is the Department's cost estimate for the closure and rehabilitation of the Lanagan-1, Lawford-1, Gibb-Maitland-1 wells and sites;
(n) what is the Department’s cost estimate for the rehabilitation of the Woodward-1, Blatchford-1 and Condon-1 sites;
(o) what is the total cost estimate for closure and rehabilitation of all 4 wells and 7 sites referred to in (c) and (g)
; and
(p) will the public end up bearing the cost of closing and rehabilitating all of these wells and sites:
(i) if no to (p), who will bear the cost of closing and rehabilitating all of these wells and sites?
Answered on 22 October 2020
(a) No companies currently have rights to explore for petroleum under those titles. Those titles have expired.
(b)
(i) 2008
New Standard Exploration Pty Ltd: EP 417, EP 443, EP 450, EP 451, EP 456.
Arc Energy Ltd: EP 443, EP 450, EP 451, EP 456.
(ii) 2011
New Standard Onshore Pty Ltd: EP 417, EP 443, EP 450, EP 451, EP 456.
Buru Energy Ltd: EP 417.
(iii) 2014
New Standard Onshore Pty Ltd: EP 417, EP 443, EP 450, EP 451, EP 456, EP 481.
Petrochina International Investment (Australia) Pty Ltd: EP 443, EP 450, EP 451, EP 456.
Conocophillips (Canning Basin) Pty Ltd: EP 443, EP 450, EP 451, EP 456.
(iv) 2017
New Standard Onshore Pty Ltd: EP 417, EP 443, EP 450, EP 451, EP 456, EP 481.
(c) The Lawford-1, Lanagan-1, and Gibb-Maitland-1 wells are all decommissioned. New Standard Onshore Pty Ltd has been directed to decommission Nicolay-1.
(d) New Standard Onshore Pty Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of New Standard Energy Ltd.
(e) Yes.
(f) Please refer to relevant company websites for this information.
(g) The Condon-1 direction was issued on 6 August 2018 and all other directions were issued on 3 September 2018.
(i) Yes. [See tabled paper no ]
(ii) Not applicable.
(h) Please refer to the tabled directions.
(i) No.
(i) Not applicable.
(ii) The company advised DMIRS this was due to financial constraints.
(j) No.
(i) Not applicable.
(ii) DMIRS continues to investigate these matters and the enforcement options available.
(k) No.
(i) Not applicable.
(ii) DMIRS continues to investigate these matters and the enforcement options available.
(l) No further cost estimates have been undertaken.
(m) Specific cost estimates for these sites have not been confirmed.
(n) Specific cost estimates for these sites have not been confirmed.
(o) Specific total costs have not been estimated.
(p) DMIRS continues to investigate these matters and the enforcement options available to ensure that the company undertakes the full rehabilitation activates.
(i) See answer above.