A newly disclosed draft letter warned that Woodside’s gas plan could seriously harm turtles and whales near Scott Reef, and that a 13-day well leak could irreversibly damage the reef. Woodside has revised its plan; state and national assessments remain unfinished.
Staff at Western Australia’s Environmental Protection Authority warned in a 2023 draft letter that Woodside Energy’s proposed Browse gas development could seriously harm turtles and whales near Scott Reef. They also warned of potentially irreversible harm from an oil spill. The Guardian disclosed the draft on 26 October 2026. It records staff advice, not a final decision by the authority.
Staff presented the draft letter to the authority’s board for approval in December 2023. Their advice warned that the proposed drilling could significantly damage Scott Reef’s exceptional coral habitat, home to more than 1,500 species.
In February 2024, the authority told Woodside its preliminary view was to reject the development. Browse is Australia’s largest undeveloped gas reserve. Woodside proposes to drill more than 50 wells and pipe the gas about 1,000km to its North West Shelf export plant, making the environmental assessment consequential for the company’s plan to supply that plant.
Analysis
In 2023, the authority’s staff advised its board that a well leaking for 13 days could have irreversible consequences for Scott Reef. Woodside has since added explosive-driven shear rams to its drilling plan. The devices are intended to seal a leaking well in seconds; Woodside says they would limit the longest credible duration of a blowout it describes as highly unlikely to about 12 hours.
Woodside says that if the shear rams failed, it would use a capping stack—equipment placed over a well to stop the flow—within 16 days. That fallback period is longer than the 13-day leak considered in the earlier warning. Neither figure describes damage that has occurred.
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The draft warned that extracting gas beneath Sandy Islet could cause the seabed to sink and threaten a breeding site used by about 1,000 endangered green turtles each year. Staff called a proposal to replenish the islet’s sand high-risk and said its success was likely to be limited. Woodside says it changed its plan to keep wells at least 20km from the islet and would restrict gas flaring, whose bright light can confuse turtles.
Staff also warned that noise, vessel traffic and collisions would significantly affect migrating pygmy blue whales. The draft identified Scott Reef as the only known feeding ground along their route between Timor and southern Australia. Woodside accepts that whales feed there but says the feeding is opportunistic and that areas farther south are more important.
State and national assessments remain unfinished. Western Australia’s authority says it will send its final report and recommendations to the state environment minister when they are complete, followed by a three-week public appeal period before a decision. Australia’s national EPA says its decision clock is paused while it waits for further technical advice. Environment ministers hold the ultimate decision-making power.
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