Exmouth SLB15 MC3D MSS ENVIRONMENT PLAN SUMMARY September 2016 Rev 1 Exmouth SLB15 MC3D Environment Plan Summary Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 List of Figures 4 List of Tables 4 1 Description of the Activity 1 1.1 Overview of the Activity 1 1.2 Location 1 1.3 Activity Design Characteristics Relevant to Environmental Management 4 2 Description of the Environment 7 2.1 Physical environment 7 2.2 Key ecosystems 8 2.3 Threatened Species and Migratory Fauna 10 2.4 Marine Mammals 13 2.5 Marine Reptiles 15 2.6 Sharks and Rays 15 2.7 Birds 17 2.8 Protected and Significant Areas 19 2.9 Socioeconomic Environment 23 2.9.1 Commercial Fisheries 23 2.9.2 Tourism and Recreation 25 2.9.3 Aquaculture 26 2.9.4 Cultural heritage 26 2.9.5 Shipping 27 2.9.6 Defence 27 2.9.7 Petroleum activities 27 3 Detail of Stakeholder Consult ation 29 3.1 Overview of stakeholder strategy 29 3.2 Consultation during Preparation of the EP 29 3.2.1 Consultation Pack 29 3.2.2 First Update 29 3.2.3 Second Update 29 3.2.4 Consultation w ith Petroleum Operators 29 3.3 Consultation Response and Merit Assessment 30 3.4 Ongoing consultation 43 3.4.1 Activity notifications to stakeholders 44 4 Impacts and Risks Assessment 47 4.1 Methodology 47 Page i Exmouth SLB15 MC3D Environment Plan Summary 4.2 EIRA sum m ary 47 4.3 Interaction w ith Other Marine Users 48 4.3.1 Description of Source of Impact 48 4.3.2 Know n and Potential Impacts to Other Marine Users 48 4.3.3 Control Measures and Measurement of Environmental Performance 53 4.3.4 Residual Risk 53 4.4 Underw ater Noise Emissions from Operation of the Acoustic Source 58 4.4.1 Description of Source of Impact 58 4.4.2 Know n and Potential Impacts to Environmental Receptors 59 4.4.3 Control Measures and Measurement of Environmental Performance 85 4.4.4 Residual Risk 85 4.5 Routine Permissible Waste Discharges 96 4.5.1 Description of Source of Impact 96 4.5.2 Know n and Potential Impacts to Environmental Receptors 96 4.5.3 Control Measures and Measurement of Environmental Performance 97 4.5.4 Residual Risk 97 4.6 Introduction and Establishment of Invasive Marine Species 100 4.6.1 Description of Source of Risk 100 4.6.2 Know n and Potential Risks to Environmental Receptors 100 4.6.3 Control Measures and Measurement of Environmental Performance 101 4.6.4 Residual Risk 101 4.7 Artificial Light Generation 104 4.7.1 Description of Source of Impact 104 4.7.2 Know n and Potential Impacts to Environmental Receptors 104 4.7.3 Control Measures and Measurement of Environmental Performance 104 4.7.4 Residual Risk 104 4.8 Atmospheric Emissions 107 4.8.1 Description of Source of Impact 107 4.8.2 Know n and Potential Impacts to Environmental Receptors 107 4.8.3 Control Measures and Measures of Environment al Performance 107 4.8.4 Residual Risk 107 4.9 Physical Presence: Collision or Entanglement w ith Marine Fauna 109 4.9.1 Description of Source of Risk 109 4.9.2 Know n and Potential Risks to Environmental Receptors 109 4.9.3 Control Measures and Measurements of Environmental Performance 111 4.9.4 Residual Risk 111 4.10 Seabed Disturbance: Loss of Equipment 113 4.10.1 Description of Source of Risk 113 4.10.2 Know n and Potential Risks to Environmental Receptors 113 4.10.3 Control Measures and Measurements of Environmental Performance 113 4.10.4 Residual Risk 114 4.11 Loss of Hazardous and Non-hazardous Substances 116 4.11.1 Description of Source of Risk 116 4.11.2 Know n and Potential Risks 116 4.11.3 Control Measures and Measurement of Environmental Performance 117 4.11.4 Residual Risk 117 4.12 Hydrocarbon spill 120 Page ii Exmouth SLB15 MC3D Environment Plan Summary 4.12.1 Description of Source of Risk 120 4.12.2 Know n and Potential Risks to Environmental Receptors 120 4.12.3 Control Measures and Measurement of Environmental Performance 124 4.12.4 Residual Risk 124 4.13 Response to a hydrocarbon spill 127 4.13.1 Description of Source of Risk 127 4.13.2 Know n and Potential Risks to Environmental Receptors 129 4.13.3 Control Measures and Measurement of Environmental Performance 129 4.13.4 Residual Risk 129 4.14 Environment Performance Monitoring 132 4.14.1 Monitoring and record keeping 132 4.14.2 Marine fauna observation reporting 133 4.14.3 Auditing 133 4.14.4 Management of non-conformance 133 4.14.5 Review of the EP 133 5 Oil Pollution Emergency Plan 135 5.1 Nature and Scale of preparedness 135 5.2 Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan 135 5.3 Oil spill response framew ork 135 5.3.1 Control agency 136 5.3.2 State w aters transitional arrangement 136 5.3.3 Testing of t he OPEP 136 5.4 Monitoring of oil spill impacts 137 5.4.1 Type I Operational Monitoring 137 5.4.2 Type II Scientific Monitoring 137 5.4.3 Scientific monitoring programs 139 6 Details of the Titleholder’s Nominated Liaison Person for the Activity 142 Page iii Exmouth SLB15 MC3D Environment Plan Summary List of Figures Figure 1: Location of operational area and relevant petroleum titles 3 Figure 2: Seasonal Activity Exclusion Zones 6 Figure 3: SLB EP Risk Management Process 47 Figure 4: Short range modelling scatter plot of predicted maximum SEL across the w ater column from the 3,147 in3 array for all azimuths as a function of range from the centre of the source array 60 Figure 5: Long range modelling of maximum SEL across the w ater column from the 3,147 in3 array 61 Figure 6: Modelled received sound levels for Cetaceans (and Dugong), Marine Turtles and Fish (including Whale Sharks) for a 3,147 in3 airgun array 72 Figure 7: Noise Decay Curves for a Number of Different Seismic Airgun Sources in West ern and Southern Australian Waters (Source: Dr Rob McCauley, CMST Curtin University, June 2009) 77 List of Tables Table 1: Operational area (coordinates, WGS84) 2 Table 2: Petroleum titles within the operational area 2 Table 3: Summary of physical environment 7 Table 4: Summary of significant ecosystems 8 Table 5: Threatened and migratory species identified in EPBC Act Protected Matters Search 10 Table 6: Threatened and migratory marine mammals 13 Table 7: Threatened and migratory marine reptiles 15 Table 8: Threatened and migratory sharks and rays 16 Table 9: Threatened and migratory birds 17 Table 10: Summary of the Values and Management Principles / Actions / Objectives for Protected Areas Relevant to the Activity 19 Table 11: Summary of commercial fisheries 23 Table 12: Summary of tourism and recreation 25 Table 13: Summary of aquaculture interests 26 Table 14: Summary of Pet roleum Interest s w ithin the operational area 27 Table 15: Summary of Consultation Already Undertaken and Merit Assessment 31 Table 16: Summary of Consultation w ith Petroleum Activity Stakeholders 42 Table 17: Pre-activity notifications 45 Table 18: Post-activity notifications 46 Table 19: Summary of EIRA results for residual risks rating 48 Table 20: Controls Measures and Environmental Performance Outcomes and Standards for Interactions w ith Other Marine Users 54 Table 21: Predicted maximum received SELs for all azimuths from the 3,147 in3 source 61 Table 22: Summary of Fish Injury Noise Exposure Guidelines for Seismic Airguns (Popper et al. 2014) 62 Table 23: Summary of Injury and Behavioural Criteria for Cetaceans 63 Table 24: Observed Seismic Noise Pathological Effects on Fish Eggs and Larvae 65 Table 25: Summary of Impact Ranges for Fish at Source Site 1 for a 3,147 in3 Airgun Array Volume 71 Table 26: Threatened, migratory and listed cetaceans possibly occurring in Operational Area 74 Table 27: Summary of Impact Ranges for Low and Mid-Frequency Cetaceans and Dugong for a 3,147 in3 Airgun Array 79 Page iv Exmouth SLB15 MC3D Environment Plan Summary Table 28: Summary of Impact Ranges for Marine Turtles for a 3,147 in3 Airgun Array Volume 82 Table 29: Predicted long range maximum modelled received levels at various ranges from the centre of the 3147 in3 source array 85 Table 30: Controls Measures and Environmental Performance Outcomes and Standards for Underw ater Noise from Operation of the Seismic Source 86 Table 31: Controls Measures and Environmental Performance Outcomes and Standards for Routine Permissible Waste Discharges 98 Table 32: Control Measures and Environmental Performance Outcomes and Standards for IMS Management 102 Table 33: Control Measures and Environmental Performance Outcomes and Standards for Light Generation 106 Table 34: Control Measures and Environmental Performance Outcomes and Standards for Atmospheric Emissions 108 Table 35: Control Measures and Environmental Performance Outcomes and Standards for Vessel Collision or Entanglement w ith Marine Fauna 112 Table 36: Control Measures and Environmental Performance Outcomes and Standards for Loss of Equipment 115 Table 37: Controls for Loss of Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Waste 118 Table 38: Summary of ADIOS2 results 120 Table 39: Controls for refuelling and hydrocarbon management 125 Table 40: Assessment of applicable spill response strategies 127 Table 41: Controls for management of responses to a hydrocarbon spill 130 Table 42: Summary of routine environmental monitoring 132 Table 43: State and Commonwealth Oil Spill Responsibilities 135 Table 44: Testing requirements of the response arrangements 136 Table 45: Protection and monitoring priorities 138 Table 46: Scientific monitoring program rationale 141 Table 47: Titleholder’s nominated liaison person details 142 Page v Exmouth SLB15 MC3D Environment Plan Summary 1 Description of the Activity 1.1 Overview of the Activity Schlumberger Australia Pty Ltd (SLB) proposes to acquire a multi-client, three dimensional (MC3D), marine seismic survey (MSS) in Commonwealth waters of the North West Shelf (NWS) off northern Western Australia (WA).