Global environmental review processes for oil and gas projects*

Abstract

The environmental review processes for major oil and gas projects vary significantly worldwide. Three LNG projects in WA (Gorgon, Browse and Wheatstone), one in NT (Ichthys), four in Queensland (Queensland Curtis LNG, Gladstone LNG, Australia Pacific LNG and Shell Australia LNG), and one in Commonwealth waters (Prelude) have all experienced—or are in the midst of—the Australian environmental review processes.

The foundation of the environmental review of these projects is anchored in existing state and federal statutes and regulations, but the application to each project varies according to the specific characteristics of each proposal. Similar large scale LNG projects in other countries are subject to analogous processes. Some are as rigorous as those in Australia but there are also some with less well-developed environmental review processes. In the latter cases, either corporate and/or financial institution standards dictate the environmental review processes.

This extended abstract reviews the processes that the present above-mentioned LNG projects have gone through or are going through and compares them to similar processes in other countries where large-scale oil and gas projects have been proposed or permitted. The authors compare both the strategic assessment approach taken for the Browse LNG project to the more traditional approach of environmental impact statement/environmental review and management plan used for other recent or present oil and gas projects.

The authors also evaluate these reviews in relation to comparable multi-jurisdictional reviews taken in the US, Canada and the UK for their joint federal/state/regional environmental review processes.