Apache Energy Limited is an Australian operating subsidiary of Apache Corporation (www.apachecorp.com), one of the world’s largest independent oil and gas exploration and development companies. Apache is a significant producer of oil and gas in Western Australia and operates 16 oil and gas production facilities, providing between 35-40% of the State’s domestic natural gas supply. In addition, it is Australia’s most active offshore explorer, drilling between 25-35 wells a year. Apache operates the Harriet Alpha platform, which was Western Australia’s first offshore oilfield development.
The Company has an exceptional record of environmental management throughout its 14 years of operation in Western Australia. It has been formally recognised with numerous awards for its excellence in environmental management.
It has more than 47, 941 km2 (11.8 million acres) of offshore acreage throughout Australia, including exploration permits and production licenses mainly in the offshore Carnarvon Basin of Western Australia. Apache also has permits in the offshore Perth and Browse Basins in WA, and in the offshore Gippsland Basin of Victoria.
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Apache’s environmental and safety record
Apache has extensive experience with offshore drilling and petroleum operations in sensitive marine environments, including the North West Shelf, and has received State and national environmental awards, including:
- Winner of the 2003 Department of Industry and Resources (DoIR) Golden Gecko award for environmental excellence in the construction and installation of Apache’s Victoria Oil Field Development located within the Montebello/Barrow Islands Marine Conservation Reserve in the North West Shelf. An offshore oil platform and two subsea pipelines were installed in shallow waters dominated by coral bombies with minimal disturbance to the sensitive seabed.
- Finalist in the 2003 Prime Minister’s award for Environmentalist of the Year for the environmental management of the Victoria and Double Island Oil Field Developments.
- Finalist in the 2003 WA Environment Awards for its Victoria and Double Islands oil field developments.
- Winner of the 2002 Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) national environment award for its Simpson Oil Development, located within the Montebello/Barrow Islands Marine Conservation Reserve in the North West Shelf.
The Van Gogh operations will be conducted within what is called the Safety Case Regime. A safety case details the process for identifying all major hazards to the facility and the personnel on board along with defining the strategies to eliminate and / or control them. The safety case must be accepted by the government through the National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority (NOPSA) before the facility is allowed to operate. Apache Energy has been operating with the safety case regime for all its facilities since 1996.
