The Pluto LNG Project was granted State and Commonwealth environmental approval in 2007.
Environmental management plans are in place for the construction and operations phases to conserve, monitor and manage areas of environmental and cultural significance within the project’s lease areas.
Marine monitoring
Pluto’s environment team has delivered the largest marine monitoring program of its kind in Western Australia to minimise the impact of dredging activity during construction. The world-class monitoring program provided early detection of dredging impacts on corals which spanned 1100 km2 of Mermaid Sound. Dredging was completed in July 2010, without impacts to the corals and nearby proposed Marine Park.
Carbon offsets
Pluto gas is naturally low in carbon dioxide at about 2%, which is less than much of the other gas in the region.
Woodside is investing A$100 million in a program with CO2 Australia to offset carbon emissions from the Pluto reservoir. This investment creates Australia’s biggest commercial emissions offset program based on dedicated forest carbon sink plantings making the Pluto LNG Project one of the most environmentally friendly LNG plants in the world. Under this contract, CO2 Australia will, on behalf of Woodside, establish and manage mallee eucalypt plantings in New South Wales and Western Australia. To date approximately 20 million trees have been planted with over 7 million to follow during 2012.
Environment Offsets
Following State environment approval for the Pluto LNG Project, Woodside committed to investing about A$8 million over four years to implement the environmental offsets projects listed below:
- Management and monitoring of the conservation zone at the Pluto LNG Park
- Rehabilitation of degraded areas on the Burrup Peninsula
- Taxonomic studies of plants of the Burrup
- Research and monitoring consistent with the WA Government's indicative management plan for the Dampier Archipelago Marine Park
- Improving capacity within government and the private sector to manage dredging impacts on tropical coral communities
- Genetic studies of land snails of the Burrup Peninsula and islands
- Ethno botanical surveys conducted with representatives from the five local Indigenous groups to collect plant samples and record stories of their traditional uses
Four of the seven offsets have been completed and the remaining three are targeted to be completed later in 2011.
The work undertaken for the offsets has included a range of research activities and development of monitoring programs. This has resulted in a better understanding of the potential impacts associated with LNG projects on local flora and fauna.
Pluto LNG Project - Annual Environmental Compliance Report 2011
Pluto LNG Project - Annual Environmental Compliance Report 2010
Pluto LNG Project - Annual Environmental Compliance Report 2009
Pluto LNG Project - Annual Environmental Compliance Report 2008 (Site A)
Pluto LNG Project - Annual Environmental Compliance Report 2008 (Site B)