BHP gets environmental nod for Macedon gas development

BHP Billiton Ltd. has received conditional approval from the Environment Protection Authority for its proposed Macedon gas development on retention lease WA-12-R off Western Australia.

July 7, 2010

2 min read

Rick Wilkinson
OGJ Correspondent

MELBOURNE, July 7 -- BHP Billiton Ltd. has received conditional approval from the Environment Protection Authority for its proposed Macedon gas development on retention lease WA-12-R off Western Australia.

EPA Chairman Paul Vogel said the predicted air quality is well within the set standards and greenhouse gas efficiency design features have been included in the project. He added that the oil spill risk is low as is the risk to turtles and whales.

EPA also said Macedon’s impact in the Ashburton North Strategic Industrial Area was small compared to Chevron’s proposed Wheatstone LNG project, which is considered to be the foundation industry. Thus Macedon is unlikely to be critical in a cumulative impact assessment that is being undertaken by EPA.

EPA’s report on Macedon is now available for public comment.

Macedon gas is expected to go on stream in 2013 at rates of 200 MMcfd of gas. Front-end engineering and design studies were contracted to Clough Australia in September 2009.

The field was discovered in 1992 by a well called West Muiron-2. Appraisal work confirmed the discovery in 1994. It has about 800 bcf of gas reserves.

Macedon is 10 km from BHP’s producing Pyrenees oil field.

BHP has 71.43% with Apache Energy, 28.57%.