Black Mountain Energy 'Valhalla' project released for 8 weeks public comment by EPA
Monday 12th of August 2024
Just days after the federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water received close to 3000 submissions opposing a Texan company's proposal to frack the Kimberley, the WA Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has released the proposal for 8 weeks' public comment.
If approved, the proposal would open the possibility of the Kimberley becoming a Texan style oil and gas field with thousands of wells drilled and fracked over coming decades.
Oil and gas companies have compared the Kimberley's Canning Basin to US onshore oil and gas fields like the Eagle Ford basin which had zero wells in 2008 but now has 27,000 oil and gas wells.
Black Mountain Energy subsidiary Bennett Resources Ltd, owned by Texan billionaire Rhett Bennett, plans to turn the Kimberley's Canning Basin into a US-style oil and gas field with potential horrific environmental impacts.
Environment, First Nations and community groups - Conservation Council of WA, Environs Kimberley, Seed and Lock the Gate - are calling on the Cook Labor government to ban fracking in the Kimberley like it has done in the Southwest, Peel, Perth and Dampier Peninsula areas of WA so that water isn't polluted by carcinogenic chemicals, landscapes aren't destroyed, tourism isn't damaged and vast amounts of carbon pollution is averted.
"Premier Cook and the Labor government need to decide on whether they are going to protect the Kimberley from industrialisation and pollution through fracking or not. The McGowan government banned fracking in the Southwest, Peel, Perth and Dampier Peninsula areas of WA but the Cook government has not explained why the Kimberley, a global icon, can be sacrificed to fracking" Environs Kimberley Director of Strategy Martin Pritchard said.
Black Mountain has concept plans for a gas pipeline to the Pilbara. To finance it, they'd need thousands of oil and gas wells, each requiring 100 million litres of water and tonnes of poisonous chemicals at extreme pressures to shatter rocks to release fossil fuels. It would lead to a decimated environment.
"The Kimberley holds a special place in the hearts and minds of all West Australians. It is home to vast, diverse landscapes, rich cultural traditions, and iconic and threatened species. Black Mountain say they need a pipeline to the Pilbara which would require thousands of oil and gas wells. It would be absurd for the WA Cook Government to allow Black Mountain to lay waste to the Kimberley with polluting fracked gasfields, just so it can export the gas and overseas shareholders can reap the profit," said WA Campaign Coordinator for Lock the Gate, Claire McKinnon.
"First Nations young people and communities in the Kimberley are extremely concerned about the impacts that extractive industries will have on country, climate and culture both in WA and across the country. The Cook government must ban fracking in the Kimberley to protect country and make progress to consult communities on caring for country, as mob have been caring for country for tens of thousands of years. Our communities will not be sacrifice zones for the sake of fossil fuel greed," said Angel Owen, National Director of Seed Indigenous Youth Climate Network.
Woodside CEO Meg O'Neill said at the company's AGM earlier this year that they would welcome gas from fracking the Kimberley to be processed at their LNG facilities in the Pilbara.
"Woodside have signalled their interest in pursuing fracking opportunities in the Kimberley. Fracking in the Kimberley would unleash a carbon bomb at a time when we need to be phasing out all fossil fuel. It would also enable the destruction of unique and fragile ecosystems," said CCWA Campaigns Director, Mia Pepper.
"Over the next eight weeks we will be ensuring that the EPA and government fully understand just how passionate people are about protecting the Kimberley from fossil fuel industrialisation," said Mr Pritchard.
