East Coast Supply Project - Annie-2 Development Well Environment Plan
Impacts and risks for Recreational fishers
Interaction with other marine users
- Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU or drill rig) and support vessel operations: Presence will be temporary with vessels mobilised from Portland or Geelong/Melbourne area
- Permanent presence of one well likely encompassed by a 500m PSZ. The final well locations may vary by up to 500m to accommodate seabed features and engineering constraints identified at the survey stage.
Impacts
- Changes to the functions, interests and activities of other marine users
Controls
- Temporary Exclusion Zones will be communicated via Notice to Mariners
- Fisheries damages protocol
- Ongoing consultation and notification
- Marine assurance process
Seabed disturbance
Our proposed activities offshore include:
- putting down anchors and grounded chains temporarily to position our mobile offshore drilling unit
- pre-laying anchors using our support vessel
- 'flying' our ROV (remotely operated vehicle) close to seabed
- depositing cuttings such as rock and natural material generated during drilling of the wells
- depositing excess cement on seabed
Impact
- Change in benthic habitat
Risks
- Marine fauna injury or mortality
- Cultural heritage changes.
Controls
To mitigate or reduce these impacts and risks we will implement the following controls:
- Planned maintenance system
- Offshore work procedures
- Marine assurance process
- Underwater cultural heritage disturbance risk management process
Underwater sound
Underwater sound will be generated from the following activities:
- MODU operation: Continuous sound through general operations and utilisation of thrusters when and as required for moving and holding position. Indicative MODU is shown below 1.
- Support vessel operation: Continuous sound through propeller and thrusters when moving and holding position. Indicative support vessel is shown below.
- ROV operations
- Drilling operations: Equipment vibrations and the rotating drill string will produce noise at each well location.
Impact
- Change in ambient sound
Risks
- Behavioural change in marine fauna (marine mammals, marine turtles, fish)
- Auditory impairment (marine fauna)
Controls
- Victoria Whale Disturbance Risk Management Procedure to ensure our activities are not inconsistent with relevant EPBC species recovery plans
- Marine Assurance Process
- Offshore Operational Procedures
Greenhouse gas emissions
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions are generated by the following activities:
- Well clean-up and flowback: Direct emissions are generated when the well is flowed to remove contaminants with gas sometimes returned to the MODU. This gas is flared for safety purposes which is estimated to take approximately 1 day.
- MODU and support vessel operations: The MODU and support vessel generate direct emissions by their use of diesel or gas to generate power for operation. Indirect emissions are generated through the purchase of products such as cement and the waste generated.
Impacts
- Increase in greenhouse gas emissions
- Change in climate systems
- Change in ecosystems
- Change in Socio-economic factors
Controls
- Marine assurance process
- Cooper energy emissions reduction protocol