Brecknock 2

Location:	Brecknock 2 – Browse Area Development
Position:	North coast offshore Australia
Depth:	200m - 800m
Water Temperature:	No data
Dates:	18 August 2005
Industry Partners
Gas & Oil Company	Woodside Energy
ROV Operator:	Subsea7
Rig operator:	No data
SERPENT Representatives:	Dr. Adele Pile

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Mission Plan

(As of 2005) The Browse Gas Project will need statutory environmental approval under both State and Commonwealth legislation. This will require a robust and transparent assessment of the environmental impacts that may result from the development.  The first stage of this assessment process is to gain an understanding of the existing environment that may be impacted, including an understanding of the biological diversity of the sea floor and surrounding water column. The SERPENT project presents the opportunity to collect data from the seabed in cost effective and scientifically robust way in support of the approvals process.

Mission Outcomes

Key Species Observed at Brecknock 2

Penatulida – Sea Pens
Spatangoid urchins (Irregular urchins)
Large nephrops lobster
Panadlid prawns
Eel (Synaphobranchus)
Rattail
Amphipods

Environmental Comments

Evidence of macroalgae falling from above to leave small patches on the seafloor. There is a clear change from a heavy impact zone around the BOP in a 10m ring, which then moves into a lesser impacted zone extending out towards 64m, beyond which there is a transition to normal sediment, although the full extent of this is difficult to ascertain due to the ROV transect length.

For further information please contact:

Dr Adele Pile, SEA SERPENT, Australia Region, University of Sydney. apile@bio.usyd.edu.au

or

Ceri Morgan – Woodside Environmental Coordinator Ceri.morgan@woodside.com.au

Thanks to crew of the Atwood Eagle and the ROV crew from Subsea7 for all their help and enthusiasm offshore, and to our project partners Woodside.