Overview of the Browse Project Reconsideration

The Australian Conservation Foundation's (ACF) request for reconsideration of Woodside Energy's proposed US$35 billion Browse liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Western Australia has been accepted by Commonwealth Environment Minister Murray Watt. This decision opens the project to public scrutiny for the first time in eight years at a federal level. The Browse project is Australia's largest undeveloped offshore gas asset, containing 14 trillion cubic feet of gas and nearly 390 million barrels of condensate, with a forecast production capacity of 11.4 million tonnes per annum of LNG, liquid petroleum gas, and domestic gas, along with peak condensate output of 50,000 barrels per day.

Departmental and Company Responses

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment & Water has validated the reconsideration request under the Environment Protection & Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act and will substantively consider it. Woodside confirmed receipt of the correspondence and stated it is reviewing the request, planning to provide comments to the department. The company emphasizes the project's potential to contribute to energy security in Western Australia and the Asia Pacific region, particularly given current energy security concerns.

Environmental Opposition and Key Concerns

Environmental groups, including Greenpeace Australia Pacific, oppose the project, citing risks to marine life such as turtles and whales, as well as oceans and the climate, from drilling at least 50 oil and gas wells at Scott Reef. The ACF's reconsideration request focuses on the impacts of 1.6 billion tonnes of carbon pollution from Browse on places of national significance like the Great Barrier Reef. Research commissioned by the ACF from IPCC lead author Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick indicates that emissions from the project would result in the death of an additional 29.35 million individual coral colonies in every future mass bleaching event on the reef.

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Project Developments

In March, Woodside withdrew its 2024 Browse CCS project referral and is now submitting a revised referral under newly proclaimed EPBC Act reforms. The company states this is a procedural step with no significant change to the nature, scope, or intent of the proposed CCS project. Woodside expects the CCS project to reduce Scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions from Browse by approximately 53 million tonnes, or 47% of total Scope 1 emissions, compared to the 2019 estimate, over the project's life. The company remains committed to progressing the CCS project through a transparent and robust environmental assessment process.