Endangered sea snake could threaten Woodside Energy’s Browse gas project

An endangered species of sea snake has become the latest threat to a major multibillion-dollar gas project, with conservation scientists calling for the project to be urgently renewed.

The dusky sea snake, Aipysurus fuscus, was this week placed on Australia’s threatened species list by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

The little-known species only exists on a small number of reefs off the Western Australia Kimberley coastline, the area of Woodside Energy’s $US20bn ($29.7bn) Browse gas project.

The Browse gas basin, Australia’s largest untapped conventional gas field, is located beneath the Scott Reef off the Kimberley.

Now conservation scientists are calling for fossil fuel activity in the area to be reviewed in a bid to protect the endangered species.

The department’s conservation advice informing the decision has urged the government to “urgently review all activities for the fossil fuel industry across the Browse Basin”, highlighting its “known and potential impacts”.

The conservation advice claims the threats to the area include “a high risk of blowout releasing vast quantities of oil, excessive marine noise, pollution from heavy metals and other toxins and disturbance of the sea floor which can kill corals that provide habitat for the dusky sea snakes”.

Woodside currently proposes to drill up to 50 wells around the Scott Reef system off the Kimberley coast, to pipe Browse gas for more than 900km along the ocean floor.

The pipes will go to the North West Shelf / Karratha Gas Plant at the Burrup Hub where it will be processed for export.

It was revealed last month that the EPA found the gas proposal to be unacceptable due to risks to the environment and species in the area.

Executive Director of the Conservation Council of WA, Jess Beckerling said Scott Reef is a “pristine and fragile” marine ecosystem.

“Woodside’s Browse gas proposal involves drilling up to 50 gas wells around this precious coral reef,” she said.

“The federal government has now declared the dusky sea snake, which is only found around Scott Reef, to be endangered.

“The Department’s Conservation Advice identifies gas extraction in the Browse Basin as “exacerbating” impacts to the dusky sea snake.”

Ms Beckerkling is urging the government to listen to the call for an urgent review of the impacts of Woodside’s plan.

“After many years of trying, Woodside has been unable to find a way to develop Browse without unacceptable risks,” she said.

“There is now yet another reason that Woodside’s Browse proposal cannot be approved.

“To protect the endangered dusky sea snake, and all the other marine life at Scott Reef, the State and Federal governments must refuse Woodside’s Browse gas proposal.”