The Dewhurst Gas Exploration Pilot Expansion Project was granted consent under Part 4 of the EP&A Act in July 2014. The project involves:
- expanding the existing Dewhurst 13-18 Pilot by drilling additional horizontal wells within Dewhurst 16, 17 and 18
- expanding the Dewhurst 26-29 Pilot by drilling two new wells (Dewhurst 30 and 31) on new well pads
- constructing associated surface infrastructure and operating the expanded pilots for three years.
Work on the expansion project has commenced with the clearing of new wells pads for Dewhurst 30 and 31.
Modifications to the project approval have been made to:
- extend the period of time that the existing wells in the development may be operated for a further three years (Modification 1)
- allow gas recovered from prospecting activities at the Dewhurst South 26-31 pilot wells to be beneficially used in the Wilga Park Power Station for the generation of electricity (Modification 2)
The Department of Planning and Environment approved the surrender of development consent SSD-6038 on 1st August 2023. The activities approved by the consent will be undertaken in accordance with development consent SSD-6456 for the Narrabri Gas Project.
Application documents
Dewhurst Gas Exploration Pilot Expansion MOD 1 – Environmental Assessment Supporting Information
Dewhurst Gas Exploration Pilot Expansion MOD 2 – Environmental Assessment Supporting Information
Request for Director-General’s Requirements for Dewhurst Exploration and Appraisal Activities
Director-General’s Requirements for Dewhurst Gas Exploration Pilot Expansion
Dewhurst Gas Exploration Pilot Expansion Environmental Impact Statement
Dewhurst Gas Exploration Pilot Expansion Response to Submissions
Development consent
Dewhurst Gas Exploration Pilot Expansion – Consolidated Consent
Dewhurst Gas Exploration Pilot Expansion MOD 3 – Notice of Modification
Dewhurst Gas Exploration Pilot Expansion MOD 2 – Notice of Modification
Dewhurst Gas Exploration Pilot Expansion MOD 1 – Notice of Modification
Information to be publicly available in accordance with consent conditions
All current statutory approvals
Petroleum Exploration Licence (PEL) 238
Environment Protection Licence (EPL) 20350
Dewhurst-8 Lateral Production Pilot REF
Dewhurst-8 Lateral Production Pilot approval
Exempt area consent under s70 Petroleum (Onshore) Act
Dewhurst 26-29 Water Supply Works approval
Dewhurst 30-31 Exempt area consent under s70 Petroleum (Onshore) Act
Additional documents, plans and monitoring results:
– Biodiversity Management Plan
Dewhurst 13-18, Dewhurst 6-31 and Bibblewindi Multi-Lateral Pilots Biodiversity Management Plan
Biodiversity Management Plan approval
– Rehabilitation Management Plan
Rehabilitation Completion Criteria Dewhurst 22-31 Pilots and Dewhurst 13-18H Extension
Rehabilitation Completion Criteria (management plan) approval
– Environmental Management Plan and Strategy
SSD 6038 Project Environmental Management Plan PEMP (October 2014)
SSD 6038 Project Environmental Management Plan PEMP approval (December 2014)
SSD 6038 Project Environmental Management Plan PEMP (December 2017)
Produced Water Management Plan
Produced Water Management Plan approval
SSD 6038 Project Environmental Management Plan PEMP (June 2019)
Sub Plans to the PEMP (June 2019):
- Air Quality Management
- Hazard and Risk Management
- Noise Management
- Soil and Surface Water Management
- Traffic Management
- Waste and Resource Management
- Weed Management
– Air quality monitoring
Please note, comprehensive air quality monitoring results after this date are published in the Annual Review documents located below. The Annual Review is submitted on or around March 31 each year and is published after the Department has accepted the report.
– Safety data sheets
Click here to access safety data sheets
– Environmental Audit Report
Dewhurst Independent Environmental Audit Report 2016
Dewhurst Independent Environmental Audit Report 2019
Dewhurst Independent Environmental Audit Report 2019 – Acceptance
Annual Review Documents
Complaints Register
Register of Complaints received since approval of the expansion was granted in July 2014.
Complaints registered for January 2015 to 15 January 2023 – One
|
Date Received
|
Method
|
Location
|
Nature of Complaint
|
Action Taken
|
|
26 April 2021
|
Santos received by email
|
Narrabri Gas Project, Environment Protection Licence (EPL) 20350 area
|
Complaint that a copy of the EPL 20350 for which a variation was approved by the Environment Protection Authority on 11 April 2021 was not available on the Narrabri Gas Project website.
Complainant requested matter be recorded as a formal complaint. |
Document was uploaded and available on the Narrabri Gas Project website on 5 May 2021.
Complainant and regulator/s were advised matter had been resolved. Matter recorded in the Complaints Register. |