There has been a very minor operational release of produced water from Santos’ Dewhurst pilot.
A maximum of 2 to 3 litres of water was released from a high point vent, which would have the contained approximately 2-3 teaspoons of salt.
There was no equipment malfunction, these types of vents are designed to release small amounts of gas that can sometimes gather in water flowlines. During the course of normal operations, water droplets can also be released with the gas.
The small scale of the release did not trigger a reporting process. The affected area was cleaned up to ensure the surrounding environment was not impacted.
The EPA is aware of the release.
Santos adheres to strict environmental and reporting guidelines at all times to ensure natural gas is extracted safely.