CGG are proposing to conduct seismic blasting off the coast of Victoria near Warrnambool and the Apollo Marine Park.¹
The seismic blasting, if allowed to happen, will be right next to critical calving grounds for the endangered southern right whale and inside key foraging habitat of the endangered pygmy blue whale.
The seismic blasting zone will be approximately 10km off Deen Maar (Lady Julia Percy Island), which has resident Australian fur seal populations, nesting birds, and other marine life sensitive to the damage caused by seismic blasting. Deen Maar is part of the homeland of the Gunditjmara people, who maintain important cultural and spiritual connections to the island and its surroundings.
CGG has indicated that their proposed activities would have negative impacts on wildlife including endangered pygmy blue whales, dolphins, sea lions, lobsters and fish species who live in the areas proposed for seismic blasting.
Parts of CGG’s plan to conduct seismic blasting in this area is to be done under a Special Prospecting Authority (SPA). The SPA is a permit that allows companies to sidestep the usual regulatory processes businesses have to go through.
And it doesn’t end there, as CGG is planning to conduct seismic blasting over an area that overlaps the ocean floor where ConocoPhillips has proposed to conduct test drilling for gas.
Did you know over 600 seismic blasting surveys have been carried out in the Otway Basin alone since petroleum exploration began in the 1960s?²
The data collected is subject to ‘commercial in confidence’ regulations, meaning that seismic blasting data can be kept private by the companies who own the data for up to 15 years post-collection.
This allows data companies like CGG to sell seismic data multiple times in that 15-year period – creating lucrative returns that justify undertaking new seismic surveys – even in areas that have been subject to seismic blasting previously – and further damaging our marine life.
Our oceans are under threat.
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