Coast’s seismic shock

Alex de Vos
Environmentalists fear seismic testing off the Surf Coast could injure marine animals.
Surfrider Foundation’s Iain Lygo said he had “obvious concerns” about Trident Energy’s tests as it searched for oil and gas off the Surf Coast.
“From what I understand they send down an extremely strong sonic pulse into the bedrock,” Mr Lygo said.
“This is definitely going to have an impact on whale species.”
In 2005 the Independent revealed federal and state governments had given Trident Energy approval to search a 4630-square-kilometre area called the Torquay sub-basin.
The permit area runs to within sight of Surf Coast beaches 5.5 kilometres offshore from Cape Otway to the Bellarine Peninsula and Cape Schank on the Mornington Peninsula.
State and federal governments granted the permit after considering Trident’s proposal of a guaranteed work program of geological and geo-physical studies including the seismic survey within three years at an estimated cost of $1.8 million.
The seismic testing would cover 420 kilometres to generate a two-dimensional map.
A secondary work program would consist of studies and one exploration at an estimated cost of $8.4 million.
A spokesperson for state Energy and Resources Minister Peter Bachelor said the oil giant started seismic testing in 2007 and would continue this year.
Mr Lygo stood by his previous criticism of the government for approving the exploration because it perpetuated a “ridiculous reliance on fossil fuel”.
“It’s not a sustainable development – it’s not renewable,” he said.
Trident Energy, a public company based in Hawthorne, formed in March 2005 before tenders for the sub-basin closed. No other company tendered to explore the area.
Trident did not return the Independent’s call for comment before the paper went to press yesterday.