BEACH Energy will start seismic surveying next month near Penola in search for gas.
The company will survey an area covering 165sq kms west of Penola in a low impact survey.
Beach Energy said the survey will be conducted under strict regulatory conditions following the company’s two environmental reports released last year – both of which were approved by the South Australian Government.
The survey will be conducted using special vibrating trucks to send soundwaves into the ground which will then bounce back off different rock types underground.
These are then detected by receivers back at the surface and once the data in the receivers is collected, the information is processed.
This allows engineers and geologists to target future drilling opportunities.
Beach’s Regional Manager Jon Conti said that natural gas remains an important part of everyday lives and that it was important to ensure there was a local supply into the future.
“For many of us, natural gas delivers more than just our daily energy needs – it is a common ingredient in fertilisers, plastics, fabrics and pharmaceuticals,” Mr Conti said.
“Seismic surveys are a safe and proven way to identify future drilling opportunities to develop more locally sourced natural gas, which means less speculative drilling and lowering the local footprint of our industry.
“As a locally operating company, we recognise the value of the pristine local environment and how much it means to everyone who lives and works in the South East, so we have designed this survey in a way that limits impacts to as low as possible.”
Limestone Coast Protection Alliance member Angus Ralton opposed the survey, stating it would have a negative community and environmental impact.
“As the agriculture and primary produce sector in the Limestone Coast are predominantly export focused we do believe this will have a negative impact in the long run,” Mr Ralton said.
“Methane gas is the most expensive and polluting way to generate electricity in Australia today.
“It is playing a diminishing role in our domestic power generation and we don’t want it or need it.”
