Equinor quit the Great Australian Bight, following BP and Chevron, who also abandoned their risky drilling plans.

Making Oil History Community Flotilla in Apollo Bay, Australia. © Sarah Pannell / Greenpeace
A student-led flotilla including kayaks, sailboats, paddle boards, and surfboards set sail in Apollo Bay Harbour to send a message to oil companies that they are not welcome to drill in the Great Australian Bight.
© Sarah Pannell / Greenpeace

This comes after Chevron and BP, the other major oil companies, quit their plans to drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight following relentless campaigning from Greenpeace and our supporters.

Citing the Bight as “not commercially competitive”, Equinor abandoned its plans to drill 2.5 kilometres deep, which would’ve disturbed the unique ecosystem of the Bight. The company was the last major oil company with a permit to explore drilling prospects in the Bight.

We succeeded by petitioning BP to withdraw its oil drilling plans and by pressuring NOPSEMA to do what’s right by our fragile ecosystems, setting a strong precedent for future oil giants who may seek to exploit the natural resources of the Great Australian Bight.