PGER 00324 Revision Date Reason for issue Reviewers/Input Consolidator Approver 0 18/8/2020 Issued for Public Consultation CK CK TF 1 9/12/2020 Submission to DEM after Public Consultation BW / SM / JConti/ CK TF JCocker / CK / TF / CB / RM 2 15/04/2021 Submission to DEM following Stakeholder ZB / JCocker PC TF Consultation Environmental Impact Report Table of contents 1 Introduction 5 1.1 Background 5 1.2 Beach Energy Company Profile 6 1.3 Exploration History of the onshore Otway Basin 7 1.4 About this document 8 1.4.1 Scope 8 2 Legislative Framework 9 2.1 Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Act 9 2.1.1 Statement of Environmental Objectives 9 2.1.2 Environmental Impact Report 10 2.1.3 Environmental Significance Assessment and SEO Consultation Requirements 11 2.1.4 Activity Notification / Approval Process 11 2.2 Other Legislation 12 3 Description of Activities 18 3.1 Grouping of Operations 18 3.2 Overview of Geophysical Data Acquisition Methods 19 3.3 Seismic Survey Energy Sources and Receivers 20 3.3.1 Energy Source Point Types 20 3.3.2 Receiver Point Types 23 3.4 Types of Seismic Survey 25 3.4.1 2D and 3D Seismic Surveys 25 3.4.2 Uphole Surveys 26 3.5 History of Seismic Surveys in the Licence Area 27 3.6 Description of Seismic Survey Planning and Operations 29 3.6.1 Planning 29 3.6.2 Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Surveys 29 3.6.3 Access Track and Seismic Survey Preparation Activities 29 3.6.4 Surveying Operations 34 3.6.5 Recording Operations / Data Acquisition 34 3.6.6 Camp Sites and Associated Activities 35 3.6.7 Rehabilitation / Restoration 37 3.6.8 Monitoring and Auditing 38 4 Description of the Environment 39 4.1 Climate 39 4.2 Bioregions and Topography 39 4.3 Land Systems and Soils 40 4.4 Petroleum Geology 42 4.5 Flora and Fauna 43 4.5.1 Vegetation Communities 43 4.5.2 Biodiversity Values 43 4.5.3 Threatened Ecological Communities 44 4.5.4 Threatened Flora 44 4.5.5 Threatened Fauna 45 Released on 15/04/2021 - Revision 2 –Submission to Regulator 1 of 121 Document Custodian is HSE&R Beach Energy Limited: ABN 20 007 617 969 Once printed, this is an uncontrolled document unless issued and stamped Controlled Copy or issued under a transmittal. Based on template: AUS 1000 IMT TMP 14376462_Revision 3_Issued for Use _06/03/2019_LE-SystemsInfo-Information Mgt. Environmental Impact Report 4.5.6 Significant Migratory Species 46 4.5.7 Introduced Species 47 4.6 Water Resources 48 4.6.1 Surface water 48 4.6.2 Groundwater 49 4.7 Land Use 50 4.7.1 General Land Use 50 4.7.2 Conservation Areas 51 4.8 Social Environment 52 4.9 Aboriginal Cultural Heritage 52 4.10 Non-Aboriginal Cultural Heritage 53 5 Environmental Impact Assessment 54 5.1 Soil and Groundwater 54 5.2 Surface Water 56 5.3 Native Vegetation and Fauna 58 5.4 Land Use 60 5.5 Landholders and Local Community 62 5.6 Cultural Heritage 64 5.7 Economic Impact 65 5.8 Environmental Risk Assessment Summary 65 6 Environmental Management Framework 73 6.1 Environmental Objectives 73 6.2 Responsibilities 73 6.3 Environmental Management Procedure 74 6.4 Job Safety Analysis and Permit to Work 74 6.5 Induction and Training 75 6.6 Emergency Response and Contingency Planning 75 6.7 Environmental Monitoring and Audits 75 6.8 Incident Management, Recording and Corrective Actions 75 6.9 Reporting 76 7 Stakeholder Consultation 77 7.1 EIR and SEO Stakeholder Consultation Process 78 7.1.1 Stakeholder Feedback 80 7.2 Formal Petroleum and Geothermal Act Consultation Process 80 8 References 81 9 Abbreviations and Glossary 87 10 Document information and history 89 Released on 15/04/2021 - Revision 2 –Submission to Regulator 2 of 121 Document Custodian is HSE&R Beach Energy Limited: ABN 20 007 617 969 Once printed, this is an uncontrolled document unless issued and stamped Controlled Copy or issued under a transmittal. Based on template: AUS 1000 IMT TMP 14376462_Revision 3_Issued for Use _06/03/2019_LE-SystemsInfo-Information Mgt. Environmental Impact Report Table of figures Figure 1-1: Location of Beach Energy’s onshore South Australian Otway Basin licence area 5 Figure 1-2 Location of the Otway Basin 6 Figure 3-1: Typical onshore seismic survey outline (Source: APPEA, 2019) 19 Figure 3-2: Vibroseis trucks (Source: Sercel, 2020) 20 Figure 3-3. Weight drop (‘thumper’) unit mounted to a tractor 21 Figure 3-4: Schematic of buried source vs. vibroseis source type behaviour in an area with a Karst Layer 22 Figure 3-5: Orica Pento-Seis and Pentex charges (Source: Orica, 2020) 23 Figure 3-6: Geophone types (Source: Dean & Sweeney, 2019) 24 Figure 3-7: Wireless geophone (‘node’) with sensor installed in shallow hole 24 Figure 3-8: Schematic of downhole geophone and fibre optic cable (DAS technology) installation 24 Figure 3-9: Comparison of 2D and 3D seismic survey design 25 Figure 3-10: Comparison of 2D and 3D seismic survey images. (Mari and Chapellier, 1999) 26 Figure 3-11: Truck mounted uphole drilling rig (Source: Santos, 2018) 27 Figure 3-12: Historic seismic surveys in the licence area 28 Figure 3-13: Example of deviation of seismic lines to avoid sensitive areas 31 Figure 3-14: Bobcats with vegetation mulching attachments (Source: Roberts, 2001) 31 Figure 3-15: Prepared seismic line following use of Bobcat mounted vegetation mulcher in tall / dense pasture grass 32 Figure 3-16: Seismic survey camp (Source: Roberts, 2001) 36 Figure 4-1: Existing environment and Beach Petroleum Licence Area 41 Figure 4-2: Indicative cross-section in the onshore Otway Basin, showing geological formations, shallow aquifers and the main hydrocarbon targets 42 Released on 15/04/2021 - Revision 2 –Submission to Regulator 1 of 121 Document Custodian is HSE&R Beach Energy Limited: ABN 20 007 617 969 Once printed, this is an uncontrolled document unless issued and stamped Controlled Copy or issued under a transmittal. Based on template: AUS 1000 IMT TMP 14376462_Revision 3_Issued for Use _06/03/2019_LE-SystemsInfo-Information Mgt. Environmental Impact Report List of tables Table 3-1: Shot hole depths and maximum charge sizes 23 Table 4-1: Temperature and Rainfall Records for Station #026091 at Coonawarra (refer to Figure 4-1) 39 Table 4-2: EPBC Act listed TECs potentially occurring in the search area 44 Table 4-3: EPBC Act listed flora species recorded in the search area 45 Table 4-4: EPBC Act listed fauna species recorded in the search area 46 Table 4-5: EPBC Act listed Migratory recorded in the search area 46 Table 4-6: LSA Act and WoNS listed weed species recorded in the licence area 47 Table 4-7: Population by Local Government Area 52 Table 5-1: Environmental risk assessment for geophysical survey activities in the Otway Basin, South Australia 67 Table 6-1: Indicative roles and responsibilities 74 Table 7-1: Stakeholders and frequency of engagement 77 Table 10-1: Historic seismic survey activity in the licence area 90 Table 10-2: Land systems and associated soils in the licence area 92 Table 10-3: Priority pest weeds and alert weeds identified by the Limestone Coast Landscape Board 101 Table 10-4: Priority pest fauna identified by the Limestone Coast Landscape Board 103 Table 10-5: Consequence definition 104 Table 10-6: Likelihood definition 105 Table 10-7: Environmental risk matrix 106 Table 10-8: Stakeholder Comments 107 Table 10-9: Comments Raised During Formal Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Act Consultation Process 121 List of appendices Appendix A Historic Seismic Survey Activity in the Licence Area 90 Appendix B Land Systems and Associated Soils in the Licence Area 92 Appendix C Flora and Fauna Information 94 C. 1. Vegetation communities 94 C. 2. Details for Selected EPBC Act Listed Plant Species 94 C. 3. Details for Selected EPBC Act Listed Fauna Species 96 C. 4. Details for Significant Migratory Species 99 C. 5. Introduced Species 101 Appendix D Environmental Risk Assessment Tables 104 D. 1. Definition of Consequences 104 D. 2. Definition of Likelihood 105 D. 3. Characterisation of Risk 106 D. 4. Risk Assessment Summary Table 106 Appendix E Summary of Issues Raised During Stakeholder Consultation undertaken by Beach Energy (August – October 2020) 107 Appendix F Summary of Issues Raised During Formal Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Act Consultation Process (February 2021) 121 Released on 15/04/2021 - Revision 2 –Submission to Regulator 1 of 121 Document Custodian is HSE&R Beach Energy Limited: ABN 20 007 617 969 Once printed, this is an uncontrolled document unless issued and stamped Controlled Copy or issued under a transmittal. Based on template: AUS 1000 IMT TMP 14376462_Revision 3_Issued for Use _06/03/2019_LE-SystemsInfo-Information Mgt. Environmental Impact Report Summary Beach Energy Limited and its group subsidiaries (Beach) hold a number of petroleum exploration, production and retention licences in the onshore Otway Basin in the South East of South Australia. This Environmental Impact Report (EIR) has been prepared by Beach under the Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Act 2000 to cover Beach’s ongoing geophysical operations in the region. Previous EIRs (and associated Statements of Environmental Objectives (SEO)) covering geophysical operations in the Otway Basin region were developed by the Department of Energy and Mining (DEM) (see Roberts, 2001; Annear, 2013). This EIR (and associated SEO) updates and supersedes previous EIRs and SEOs developed to cover geophysical activities in the region.