The final steps leading to putting Australia's Great Barrier Reef off limits to oil exploration have begun.
Chevron Corp.'s Chevron Asiatic Ltd. voluntarily relinquished its four permits in the region. The move came in response to a request in May by Australia's government for companies to follow that course.
The issue was considered nonnegotiable after Minister for Resources Alan Griffiths told oil companies he could see no future for exploration in the marine park surrounding the reef off the central eastern coast of Queensland.
CHEVRON'S PERMITS
Chevron inherited the permits, totaling 30.5 million acres, with its acquisition of Gulf Oil Corp. in 1984.
The only work accomplished since original surveys in 1963 has been 5,000 line km of seismic survey and two dry holes in the late 1960s.
At the time, environmentalists raised strong objections that led to a moratorium on further exploration in 1971 pending findings of a royal commission in the mid-1970s. The commission recommended the permits remain frozen.
Chevron said that although it believes exploration could be carried out with no damage to the reef, it wishes to cooperate with the government on a sensitive issue and reaffirm its position as an environmentally sensitive firm.
OTHER PROSPECTS
One other company, Petroz Ltd., Perth, is involved in the region.
It holds a single permit off the tip of Cape York Peninsula.
Petroz said it has yet to make a final decision but that it may come soon.
Industry officials believe there is oil potential in Coral Sea deepwater sedimentary basins away from the main reef area. However, there is unlikely to be approval of permits in those areas during the 1990s. Griffiths said that in any event there will be lengthy environmental study carried out before explorationists are allowed access and strict guidelines imposed.
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