Great Australian Bight exploration a step closer

The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) has accepted global energy player Equinor’s environment plan for exploratory petroleum drilling in the Great Australian Bight, which represents the second of four approvals required before activity can commence.

The first approval was granted in 2011 when the National Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator and the Ministerial Joint Authority, comprising federal and state government resources ministers, granted an exploration title for activity in the Bight.