Chevron has been awarded the Golden Gecko Award for Environmental Excellence for a micro-tunnel on the Wheatstone liquefied natural gas project off the northwest coast of Western Australia.
The onshore processing facility for the project is located at Ashburton North near Onslow and is adjacent to the Ashburton River delta, which supports important mangrove and estuarine habitats.
To protect this coastal area, Chevron linked the 225 km pipeline from the Wheatstone field to the processing plant via a micro-tunnel, which starts behind the coastal dune system, extends seaward and terminates under the ocean floor, reducing impacts to the onshore area.
Western Australian Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Marmion presented the award to Chevron saying they had shown true commitment to environmental excellence when developing this project.
"The company assessed a number of options for the shore crossing and selected the method that had the lowest environmental risk, despite it being the most expensive option,” he said.
"Testing undertaken since the project commenced has shown no evidence of ground disturbance or loss to the mangrove community. The number of mature trees in the area adjacent to the tunnel corridor has actually substantially increased."
The Golden Gecko Awards, which have been going since 1992, are organised by the Department of Mines and Petroleum each year and acknowledge the contribution recipients have made to the responsible development of WA's resources.
Other finalists included: Fortescue Metals Group/Ziltek Pty Ltd/PT Environmental Services, Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines, Pilbara Mesquite Management Committee, Pilbara Ports Authority, Premier Coal Limited/Golder Associates, Rio Tinto Iron Ore Utilities Division and St Barbara Limited.
Merit awards were presented to the Pilbara Mesquite Management Committee for its weed management programs; and St Barbara Limited, which more than doubled the cooling capacity of its Gwalia underground mine in the Goldfields by using waste heat energy from the power plant and converting it to cool air.
Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Marmion (left) presents the Golden Gecko Award to Chevron's Tony Spencer (centre) and Tye Pope. Image: Department of Mines and Petroleum.