James Price Point data to support Kimberley program
The Browse liquefied natural gas (LNG) Development investigated a major onshore processing facility 52 kilometres north of Broome on the Dampier Peninsula, in Western Australia’s Kimberley region. The Browse Joint Venture (JV) participants commissioned numerous studies and rigorous environmental management planning for the proposed onshore LNG development.
In April 2013, the Browse JV completed its technical and commercial evaluation of the proposed Browse LNG Development near James Price Point and determined that the development concept did not meet the company’s commercial requirements for a positive final investment decision.
Even so, the research and technical work gathered during this time represents a significant and comprehensive collection of unreleased information on the local areas’ marine environment including, habit and species assessments, aerial and vessel megafauna surveys as well as benthic and seagrass habitat surveys. Woodside, on behalf of the Browse JV, has shared this data with WAMSI for the Kimberley Marine Research Program.
 |
| Proposed FLNG location in 2010 |
“The Browse JV has invested more than A$55 million in environmental research and studies, often in conjunction with leading academic and research organisations, to better understand the offshore marine environment in the vicinity of the three Browse gas fields,” Woodside’s Senior Vice President Projects, Steve Rogers said.
“By sharing our research and collaborating with WAMSI scientists, the valuable data collected over the past two decades can directly improve how the marine environment is managed,” Mr Rogers said.
WAMSI CEO Patrick Seares described the James Price Point data as key to helping the Kimberley Marine Research Program link information developed through its fieldwork focus further to the north, with more studies in the areas of Roebuck Bay and the Browse Basin.
“This enormous marine science program is all being done to improve the understanding and management of the Kimberley marine environment. The Browse JV data will allow us to fill in some of the gaps off the Dampier Peninsula and provide an even more complete picture to marine park and fisheries managers, traditional owners, regulators and future proponents,” Mr Seares said.
“We’ve been working to build both trust and the business case to support broader data sharing with industry on a number of fronts, including the agreements supporting the dredging science node and working with the energy sector on the IGEM system,” Mr Seares said.
“Opening up this data for the Kimberley program is another great step in that process and evidence that leading groups within the energy sector are increasingly working with the science sector to share knowledge. Long may it continue! ”
At this stage the raw data is limited to use for the WAMSI Kimberley Marine Research Program.
The $30 million Kimberley Marine Research Program is funded through major investment supported by $12 million from the Western Australian government’s Kimberley Science and Conservation Strategy co-invested by the WAMSI partners and supported by the Traditional Owners of the Kimberley.