The Golden Gecko Awards are managed by the WA Department of Industry and Resources and are the highest environmental awards awardable to the WA mineral and petroleum industries.
Western Australia's state development minister Alan Carpenter said the Kwinana Reducing Particulate Emissions project had set "dramatically higher and cleaner benchmark" for the global refining industry.
"BP Kwinana is the first company in the world to apply a filter on a residue cracker," Carpenter said.
"Instead of using existing technology to meet current standards for particulate emissions, BP and Pall Corporation co-designed a filter to reduce emissions significantly below current and predicted future standards.
"The filter has been in continuous operation since June 2004 and has reduced particulate emissions by a massive 72%."
Woodside was awarded for innovative procedures used to minimise the environmental impact of its Trunkline System Expansion Project (TSEP) on the environmentally sensitive and native heritage-rich Burrup Peninsula.
Specially designed gravity anchors were used to reduce dependence on quarried rock, and specialised blasting and dredging techniques were used to dampen sediment plumes. In addition, the pipeline route was planned to minimise impacts on rock art and local wildlife and vegetation.
BHP Billiton was awarded for employing design firm URS Australia to conduct a pre-feasibility study for the site selection of its planned liquefied natural gas plant on the Pilbara coastline.
To avoid biasing the outcome in favour of financial concerns, BHP did not consider project costs until the most environmentally responsible site was identified. The Onslow industrial site was finally identified through extensive stakeholder consultation and environmental evaluation.
Further information on the awards can be found at http://www.doir.wa.gov.au/goldengecko
