PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The gas leak and subsequent shutdown of the John Brooks platform, offshore Western Australia, is not expected to impact gas supply to the state.
Oil and gas major Santos this week announced the temporary shutdown of the platform, which is the main platform supplying the Varanus Island processing facility, which in turn supplies around one-quarter of Western Australia’s gas, following the observation of a gas leak during routine activities on the normally unstaffed facility.
The platform and pipeline were immediately shut down and depressurised and all personnel demobilised.
Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King lauded Santos’ quick action in an interview with the ABC.
“[The platform] was evacuated quite quickly and turned off and everything was depressurised, and all safety measures taken and the supply stopped, which is very good. Santos acted very quickly,” she said.
King noted that while the shutdown would affect supply to "some extent", the state would not be hit with a supply crisis.
“It will affect supply to some extent, but it appears like it’s a very small leak, which is not to diminish the significance – the seriousness of it and the environmental concerns which National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (Nopsema) and my office will be looking at very closely and very seriously. And Nopsema are on site as well, I might add, checking this all out to make sure there is government oversight.
“I’ve been in touch with Minister Bill Johnston’s office as well as Nopsema as well as Santos, the operator. We’re assured it shouldn’t affect supply into Western Australia, but I’ve no doubt that Minister Johnston will be keeping a very, very close eye on that,” King said.