That particular prize previously belonged to Woodside's proposed Burrup Hub development that took in Scarborough and the Browse development, but not even the CCWA believes the field will be developed. 

 

Woodside and BHP share Scarborough in a 73.25%-26.75% split. 

 

CCWA said it will be "the most polluting fossil fuel project currently proposed in Australia... The direct pollution from this project would increase WA's total emissions by almost 5% or 4.4 million tonnes per year,' the report, released this morning, states.  

 

Woodside's plan is to send the gas to an expanded Pluto LNG plant. 

 

They also allege persistent and ongoing damage to the historic rock art in the area, thanks to "acid gas", though in the past activist groups have suggested one large source of corrosion is the much older Karratha gas plant, in addition to other industry in the area. 

 

The CCWA launched an online petition last week with a pro-forma letter to Western Australia's new minister for climate action, Amber-Jade Sanderson asking her not to  approve Scarborough's Greenhouse Gas Abatement plan, which it notes has not been released to the public. 

 

It has also taken Woodside to court arguing that a judicial review for the environmental approvals the company received over a year and a half ago is necessary. 

 

The Environmental Defenders Office, acting for the CCWA, argues approvals were given in contravention of the Environmental Protection Act, which requires an Environmental Impact Assessment for any developments that would have a significant impact on the environment, it said in late December. 

 

Separately former WA Treasurer Ben Wyatt, who left Parliament in March, was appointed as a non-executive director to the Woodside board yesterday. The move faced pushback from another activist group, 350, which argues the lack of gardening leave is inappropriate and another case of a too-cosy relationship between government and business. 

 

TAI and the CCWA suggest the gas project, which under Woodside's development concept includes a new train at its Pluto LNG project, would be "worse than Adani" while CCWA chief Piers Verstegen has called the damage to the local petroglyphs "Juukan Gorge in slow motion". 

 

The project's sanction has been delayed multiple times, first thanks to partner misalignment and then the oil price crash. It is still waiting on some approvals including approval for the  revised Greenhouse Gas Abatement Program for the Pluto LNG facility, and approvals for dredging, dumping and pipeline construction in the Dampier Archipelago. 

 

"Direct carbon pollution from the project would be at least 132 million tonnes of CO2 over the life of the project, with annual emissions of over 4.4 million tonnes of CO2 every year until 2055. This represents almost 5% of Western Australia's total emissions and a 132% increase on current pollution from the Pluto LNG facility,' it said. 

 

It also argues the project might wind up another white elephant given uncertain markets for LNG exports as Australia's trading partners transition to cheaper and cleaner energy sources".

 

Australia's Office of the Chief Economist's latest Resources and Energy Quarterly sees gas demand rising in two of Australia's three major LNG import markets, even though all three have net zero targets. 

 

Woodside has noted Scarborough, primarily a dry gas project, has very low CO2 content and will be largely processed through a new train at Pluto and "will deliver one of the lowest-carbon LNG sources in Australia". By contrast Browse is over 10% CO2 and Santos' Barossa development, recently sanctioned, far higher than Browse. 

 

It noted its Offshore Project Proposal was accepted by the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority last March and the development in state waters referred separately to the state's Environmental Protection Authority and the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment in December 2018. 

 

The DAWE referral decision of ‘Not a controlled action' was released in August 2019, Woodside said. 

 

The company has set a net zero by 2050 target of its own, though this does not include scope 3 emissions or those created via burning its products.