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The one-off gas exploration well will cost around $80 million. PHOTO: ODT FILES
The one-off gas exploration well will cost around $80 million. PHOTO: ODT FILES
A consent has been granted to an international oil and gas company related to plans to drill in the Great South Basin.

The Environmental Protection Authority held hearings in Dunedin starting in July this year related to Austria-based OMV's intention to drill an oil and gas exploration well costing about $80 million in the basin this summer.

The hearing was limited to the effects of a small potential discharge of harmful substances from the drill rig's deck drains.

The panel has granted the consent with conditions.

In its decision, it considered effects on species and the marine environment.

It was the panel's understanding the effects on climate change of discharging greenhouse gases into the air was "explicitly ruled out as a matter that we can have regard to" through the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act.

Submitters became frustrated at the hearing that they were restricted to the consent at hand and unable to express views on the wider project.

jono.edwards@odt.co.nz

 

 

Comments

Great to see someone has the courage to stand up and make use of a very valuable resource so we can develop Otago for everyone.

Good !!!
Pleased to hear it. They have my full support and I hope they have every success.

Good. And let us hear from every council candidate exactly where they stand re DCC support of this. Give every voter the chance to pick the council they want.

Why not go and drill off the coast of Austria?

If we were truly the innovators we think we are, we would go all out to electrify our economy with all means renewable possible - wind, solar, geothermal, and use some of the $8 billion we spend annually on oil imports to work on the transport fleet. Not economic do we hear? What is an economy in the face of uncontrollable climate change, and how will our oil powered transport look when the war that is being provoked in the Middle East finally happens? We are just too timid and comfortable with our unsustainable situation. Risking $300 M on a likely dry well which would add to an already unburnable inventory is ok, experimenting with ideas in renewable energy is too risky!??

 

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