Western Australia’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has yet to issue its final report and recommendations on Woodside Energy’s Browse gas proposal, after The Guardian reported a 2023 draft warning of risks to Scott Reef.
The Guardian reported that EPA staff presented the draft to the authority’s board in December 2023. The newspaper said the draft warned that a 13-day well leak could have “irreversible consequences” for Scott Reef and raised doubts that available controls could make the spill risk tolerable. The reported warning predates later changes to the proposal and is not the EPA’s final finding.
On Aug. 21, 2025, the EPA accepted revisions that barred planned night flaring at drilling units, kept drill centers at least 20 kilometers from Sandy Islet, reduced the development area and added technology intended to lower the risk of losing well control. EPA Chair Darren Walsh said the regulator would assess the revised proposal using the same environmental factors identified before the changes. The EPA said it received more than 17,700 submissions during a four-week consultation.
The state-waters portion covers up to 20 subsea wells at the Torosa reservoir, about 425 kilometers north of Broome, with an expected project life extending to 2070. Woodside forecasts annual production capacity of 11.4 million tonnes across liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and domestic gas. The company says the project could support energy supplies in Western Australia and the Asia-Pacific and help keep its Karratha gas plant operating.
Woodside says two pyrotechnic shear rams would bring its longest credible well blowout scenario to about 12 hours. A separate regulatory submission by the company estimates it could take 11 to 16 days to deploy a backup capping stack. Those figures describe different response scenarios. Australia’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water lists green turtles as vulnerable and blue whales, including pygmy blue whales, as endangered at the species level. ABC News reported that Kimberley fishing guide Peter Tucker warned a spill could threaten his livelihood and affect other coastal businesses.
The EPA will send its final report and recommendations to Western Australia’s environment minister. A three-week public appeal period will follow before the minister makes a final decision.
