SYDNEY, 19 June 2019: ExxonMobil has been granted environmental approval this week to drill Australia’s deepest-ever oil and gas well in a move slammed by Greenpeace Australia Pacific.
The Sculpin well will be drilled in the Bass Strait to a depth of 2300 metres, and will be even deeper than Equinor’s controversial Stromlo-1 well proposed for drilling in the Great Australian Bight.
“Opening up new oil and gas wells anywhere in Australia is completely at odds with recognising that an ecological crisis is being caused by mining and burning fossil fuels”, said Jamie Hanson, Deputy Program Director & Head of Campaigns, Greenpeace Australia Pacific.
“We are living through a climate emergency, and we need to start acting like it.”
“Deepwater offshore drilling is extremely risky. As we saw with the Deepwater Horizon disaster, it simply isn’t possible to eliminate the real risk of catastrophic accidents.
The Deepwater Horizon catastrophe by BP spilled 800 million litres of oil into the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010 for 87 straight days.
“The world doesn’t need more oil. We need to start deploying the technology we already have – renewable energy, electrified transport – at scale.”
“If we are serious about ending extinction, then we need to end the age of oil.”
“Countries like New Zealand have already taken a lead in banning offshore drilling, protecting coastal communities from spills while addressing the climate crisis.”
“It is time for the Australian Government to stop pandering to the fossil fuel industry, and leave fossil fuels in the past where they belong.”