Fossil fuel corporation 3D Oil has been exposed divulging to investors that it will commence drilling for its next cash bonanza off the coast of King Island next year.
Managing Director of 3D Oil Noel Newell “We are planning to drill in 2023 with Conoco [Phillips].”
The permit – T/49P – covers an area of 4,960 km2 in water depths of less than 100m.
As stated by Greens Senator for lutruwita/Tasmania, Peter Whish-Wilson:
“Just a few weeks ago Scott Morrison killed oil and gas drilling project PEP-11, located offshore of Sydney and Newcastle, due to significant community and environmental concerns. Labor leader Anthony Albanese also supported this project being stopped.
“Stopping PEP-11 led to the NSW state government permanently banning oil and gas drilling off its beaches in state waters. If it’s good enough for NSW why not Tasmania or Victoria?
“How is this not a serious double standard? King Island fishing communities and thousands of other Tasmanians do not want to see their coastlines and marine environments risked by new fossil fuel projects, especially in a time of climate emergency when the exact product they are seeking is warming and killing our oceans.
“Labor and Liberal need to commit to stopping this dangerous project, and like with PEP-11, they need to pledge this prior to the election so Tasmanians know where they stand.
“The undisputed authority, according to the government, on global energy systems – the International Energy Agency – said last year that to reach net zero by 2050, not one single new coal, oil or gas project can be built. Not one.
“Australia already has enough oil and gas in reserves to trigger catastrophic climate change and yet this project intends to recklessly rip open another one, putting local fisheries and communities in jeopardy to drill for something we simply do not need.
“We are in a climate change crisis. Why risk unravelling the marine food chain, obliterating critical ecosystems and destroying local livelihoods for the sake of a few wealthy investors in the fossil fuel industry?
“Labor and Liberal are both beholden to big donations from oil and gas companies – it is the Liberal and Labor party’s predictable greed that allows fossil fuel corporations like 3D Oil to divulge plans to investors to do what they want, when they want.
“The only way to stop this unconscionable destruction is to kick the Liberals out and put the Greens in the balance of power at the next election.
“Last year I introduced the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Amendment (Fight for Australia’s Coastline) Bill 2021 to the Senate. This legislation would provide the mechanism necessary to permanently stop misguided and destructive offshore gas projects like what’s planned for the Otway Basin in their tracks – but we need the numbers in parliament to ensure it gets through.
“New Zealand, Greenland, Spain, Denmark, Costa Rica, France, Belize and Portugal have all implemented bans on new oil and gas exploration – there is no reason Australia shouldn’t do the same.”
