CAN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT THINKING BE APPLIED TO NEW OILFIELDS? A CASE STUDY OF THE EARLY STAGES OF THE ENFIELD AREA DEVELOPMENT IN AN ENVIRONMENTALLY AND SOCIALLY SENSITIVE AREA

Abstract

Can development of a finite resource, such as oil, be consistent with sustainable development? Sustainable development involves meeting the needs of current and future generations through simultaneous consideration of environmental, social and economic aspects (referred to as the triple bottom line).

Since 1998, Woodside Energy Ltd (Woodside) has discovered three oil fields in the WA-271-P Permit area offshore North West Cape, northern Western Australia. The fields are some 20 km from the boundary of the Ningaloo Marine Park.

The first part of this paper presents a case study of the Enfield Area Development. It describes the approach taken to simultaneously manage environmental, social and economic considerations while planning for the development of oil fields in exploration permit WA-271-P.

A range of measures have been employed that are considered examples of best practice for the petroleum industry in Australia, including:

early commitment to a range of responsible environmental management measures in design;

a comprehensive community engagement program, with links to the development and environmental assessment processes; and

pioneering environmental research.

Novel methods of establishing environmental and social issues as key priorities within the Woodside development team have been successfully implemented.

The case study provides by giving an overview of the most significant environmental risks associated with the proposed development, and concludes that the development does not represent a significant risk to the environment.

The second part of the paper then addresses the question of whether oilfields can be developed sustainably, looking at current views from the literature, and whether the approach outlined in the case study can be considered sustainable.

While the project is still in an early stage of development, it provides a strong indication that oil development can be consistent with current thinking on sustainability, provided that current needs, which include a dependence on fossil fuels, and future needs, such as preservation of the productive and social value of the environmental resource base, are balanced simultaneously. The paper concludes that oil development, even in an environmentally and socially sensitive area, can help facilitate the transition to a more sustainable future.