Concurrent 15. Presentation for: INPEX-led Ichthys Joint Venture – developing a dynamic adjustment area to identify, time, duration and potential exposure periods related to a 2D seismic survey offshore Western Australia

Abstract

Presented on Wednesday 18 May: Session 15

The oil and gas industry is striving for effective consultation between titleholders and commercial fishing stakeholders. Recent developments in cross-industry consultation have resulted in frameworks to provide an adjustment (compensation) claim process, where short-term displacement of fishers and reduction of catch coincident and following marine seismic survey activities may occur. 3D seismic surveys are undertaken more intensively, in geographically smaller areas and shorter time periods. This allows for discreet areas and periods to be defined for the applicability of a claim when fishing catch rates or displacement may occur. By contrast, 2D seismic surveys can be undertaken at regional scales with long sail line transects. These result in a survey vessel being active in an area of potential acoustic influence for infrequent and short periods of time, thus making justification for claims, for loss of catch or displacement, over the full survey area and full acquisition period challenging. To address this challenge a novel approach was developed to determine a dynamic area, based on where and when a survey vessel was operating the seismic source. INPEX utilised the 10 nautical miles (nm) × 10 nm geospatial grid data set provided by Department of Primary Industries Resources and Development, for commercial fishers to report catch effort. The methodology used modified navigation files, to determine the frequency, duration and number of times a fishing block was intersected during the survey. The resulting data provided an ‘adjustment area’ and ‘exposure date’ which could then be referred to as a basis for claim.

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