Open for public comment: East Coast Supply Project Offshore Project Proposal
The project
Cooper Energy, operator of the Casino Henry Netherby (CHN) development, proposes to undertake the East Coast Supply Project.
The project area is located within offshore Commonwealth waters of the Otway Basin in water depths between ~50 metres to 90 metres and is within existing offshore petroleum permits VIC/L24, VIC/L30, VIC/L33, VIC/P44 and VIC/P76.
The East Coast Supply Project aims to continue to meet the domestic demand for gas as existing CHN fields decline, by continuing to incrementally tie in nearby gas fields into existing CHN infrastructure. Hydrocarbons from these fields would be transported to shore via the existing CHN pipeline and processed at the existing Athena Gas Plant situated about six kilometres inland from Port Campbell.
The project comprises up to eight gas field tie-in opportunities with up to 15 wells, infield flowlines and manifolds. These opportunities include confirmed resources at Annie and Henry fields, and prospective resources at Elanora, Heera, Juliet, Nestor, Isabella, Pecten East.
Next steps
NOPSEMA has determined the offshore project proposal meets the regulatory requirements for it to be published for public comment but has not yet considered the acceptability of the project and associated environmental impacts.
This will happen only once the public comment period is closed, and Cooper Energy has considered and addressed issues raised by the public.
If the proposal meets all of the regulatory requirements and is accepted by NOPSEMA, further regulatory approvals from NOPSEMA will be required, including environment plans, safety cases, and well operations management plans before any activities can commence.
Providing your comment
Interested stakeholders are encouraged to provide comment on the proposal by Tuesday 25 February 2025.
NOPSEMA assesses proposals on their merits against the requirements of the regulatory framework.
The East Coast Supply Project Offshore Project Proposal is available for public comment on NOPSEMA's Consultation Hub.