South Australian Cooper Basin Operators Environmental impact report: geophysical operations Prepared for South Australian Cooper Basin Operators June 2006 1 Prepared by: Operations Geophysics Santos Ltd 91 King William Street, Adelaide GPO Box 2319, Adelaide, SA, 5001 Phone +61 8 8224 7200 Fax +61 8 8224 7636 2 South Australian Cooper Basin operators. Environmental impact report: geophysical operations. CONTENTS 1 SUMMARY .........................................................................................................................................................6 2 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................7 2.1 Cooper Basin Operators .....................................................................................................................................7 2.2 Location...............................................................................................................................................................7 2.3 Petroleum resource rationale..............................................................................................................................7 2.4 Legislative outline................................................................................................................................................9 3 LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK..........................................................................................................................10 3.1 Petroleum Act and Regulations 2000 ...............................................................................................................10 3.2 Legislative requirements ...................................................................................................................................11 3.3 Environmental impact report .............................................................................................................................11 3.4 Assessment and approval.................................................................................................................................13 4 EXISTING ENVIRONMENT .............................................................................................................................14 4.1 Climate ..............................................................................................................................................................14 4.2 Biophysical environment ...................................................................................................................................14 4.2.1 Dune fields ........................................................................................................................................15 4.2.1.1 Geology, soils and landform ...........................................................................................................15 4.2.1.2 Hydrology........................................................................................................................................15 4.2.1.3 Flora................................................................................................................................................15 4.2.1.4 Fauna..............................................................................................................................................16 4.2.2 Floodplains........................................................................................................................................16 4.2.2.1 Geology, soils and landform ...........................................................................................................16 4.2.2.2 Hydrology........................................................................................................................................16 4.2.2.3 Flora................................................................................................................................................18 4.2.2.4 Fauna..............................................................................................................................................18 4.2.3 Wetlands ...........................................................................................................................................19 4.2.3.1 Geology, soils and landform ...........................................................................................................19 4.2.3.2 Hydrology........................................................................................................................................19 4.2.3.3 Flora................................................................................................................................................19 4.2.3.4 Fauna..............................................................................................................................................19 4.2.4 Gibber plains .....................................................................................................................................20 4.2.4.1 Geology, soils and landform ...........................................................................................................20 4.2.4.2 Hydrology........................................................................................................................................20 4.2.4.3 Flora................................................................................................................................................20 4.2.4.4 Fauna..............................................................................................................................................20 4.2.5 Tablelands.........................................................................................................................................21 4.2.5.1 Geology, soils and landform ...........................................................................................................21 4.2.5.2 Hydrology........................................................................................................................................21 4.2.5.3 Flora................................................................................................................................................21 4.2.5.4 Fauna..............................................................................................................................................21 4.2.6 Salt lakes...........................................................................................................................................21 4.2.6.1 Geology, soils and landform ...........................................................................................................21 4.2.6.2 Hydrology........................................................................................................................................22 4.2.6.3 Flora................................................................................................................................................22 4.2.6.4 Fauna..............................................................................................................................................22 4.3 Social environment............................................................................................................................................22 4.3.1 Aboriginal cultural heritage ...............................................................................................................22 4.3.2 Non-Aboriginal cultural heritage........................................................................................................24 4.3.3 Land use ...........................................................................................................................................25 4.3.3.1 Pastoral land use ............................................................................................................................25 3 South Australian Cooper Basin operators. Environmental impact report: geophysical operations. 4.3.3.2 Conservation...................................................................................................................................25 4.3.3.3 Oil and gas production....................................................................................................................26 4.3.4 Socio-economic.................................................................................................................................26 5 DESCRIPTION OF GEOPHYSICAL OPERATIONS .......................................................................................27 5.1 Overview ...........................................................................................................................................................27 5.2 Geophysical history...........................................................................................................................................27 5.3 Description of seismic operations .....................................................................................................................28 5.3.1 Seismic method.................................................................................................................................28 5.3.2 Planning ............................................................................................................................................29 5.3.3 Cultural