TROPICAL CYCLONE VERONICA —
PILBARA
295. Hon ROBIN CHAPPLE to the minister representing the
Minister for Mines and Petroleum:
This is a redirected question. I refer
to industrial operations on the Burrup during the three stages of the alert
issued during cyclone Veronica.
(1) Why did
Pluto, the North West Shelf Joint Venture, and the Yara Pilbara ammonia and
Yara Pilbara Nitrates technical ammonium nitrate plants keep operating during
all stages of the cyclone?
(2) Given the
explosive nature of the Yara technical ammonium nitrate plant, why was this
allowed to keep running during all stages of the cyclone?
(3) What
procedures were in place at each of these plants when power was cut to the
Burrup on Monday, 25 March 2019?
(4) Why were
Pluto and the North West Shelf Joint Venture flaring continuously during all
three stages of the cyclone?
(5) Given the
continuous flaring from Pluto and the North West Shelf Joint Venture, what was
being flared, and what were the CO2 emissions for
this period?
Hon
ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
I thank the member for the question.
The following information has been provided to me by the Minister for Mines and
Petroleum.
(1) All these
facilities were designed with the extreme weather conditions found in the
Pilbara in mind. They all have comprehensive cyclone and emergency operating
plans that deal with the circumstances experienced during cyclone Veronica.
These plans account for the various alert stages of a cyclone and changes in
cyclone severity, and include reducing onsite personnel as well as restricting
or limiting operations such that a site is ready for the conditions and is in
the safest practicable state.
(2) It is of note
that the ammonium nitrate produced at the Yara Pilbara Nitrates technical
ammonium nitrate plant is not an explosive. As previously mentioned, the
facility has in place comprehensive cyclone and emergency plans and procedures
to ensure that the plant is kept in the safest practicable state.
(3) All the sites
have their own internal primary and backup power generation capabilities that
provide their site with sufficient electrical power to meet their needs. None
of the facilities listed take power from the external electricity grid.
(4) As part of
their restricted operations during a cyclone, production at Pluto and the North
West Shelf Joint Venture generally ceases and parts of the plant are
depressurised and flared in accordance with their cyclone response plan to
ensure that the plant is in the safest practicable state.
(5) Gas from the
plants was being flared as part of their cyclone response plans. CO2
emissions from these plants are not reported to the Department of Mines,
Industry Regulation and Safety.