Bunbury, until recently known as Unconventional Resources, has confirmed with the Department of Mines and Petroleum that its proposed plans for the area are for conventional petroleum exploration only.
That would seem to be at odds with the company's former name, earlier statements that shale gas is the target, and the expectation that the underexplored southern Perth Basin contains tight reservoirs such as Whicher Ranges.
However, DMP petroleum division executive director Jeff Haworth said the geology of the area did not support the hydraulic fracturing process and there was no indication of any good quality shales in the south of the basin.
The permit, which is yet to be granted, includes 11 blocks extending across shires of Capel, Dardanup and Donnybrook-Balingup, as well as parts of the City of Bunbury and slightly overlapping the City of Busselton.
Haworth said the Whicher Range tight gas sands study from a 2012 report, conducted by scientists from University of WA, Curtin University and CSIRO, identified that the target sands in the area were not suitable for fraccing, which would actually inhibit the extraction of any gas.
No exploration activity can begin until the company has been granted an exploration permit and all relevant approvals have been provided.
Haworth said the company was still progressing with its native title negotiations with the South West Land and Sea Council and is required to provide the department a detailed stakeholder engagement plan before the end of November.
"Should the company receive permit approval, its two-year firm plan has proposed a 150 kilometre seismic survey, which the company plans to conduct along roadsides and other accessible areas as they did not intend to access private land or sensitive areas," Haworth said.
"They would also need to seek the appropriate state and local government approvals to undertake those activities."
When Bunbury's successful tender for the licence was announced earlier this year thousands signed up to Facebook group No Fracking in SW WA, which is dedicated to fighting the use of the controversial mining method to extract underground oil and gas.
The group started to lobby the Bunbury council to oppose the Sydney-registered company's application.
WA Labor announced in August it would freeze all fraccing operations and exploration until it held a public inquiry into the industry - if it wins the next election.
That is despite the WA Health Department giving fraccing a "clean bill of health" in a report delivered last week, that found the process can be "successfully undertaken without compromising" safety with appropriate conditions.
The department says that while fraccing is a major concern in the east coast, in WA it will target zones 2-4km underground - far below any aquifers that would be used for drinking supplies.
All states where fraccing has been proposed have come to the same conclusion.
