Woodside Energy is concerned about new EPA rules in WA.

The WA Government’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has revised guidance on greenhouse gas emissions, and will call for proposed projects with direct emissions above 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year to carry out offsets.

Woodside says this new emissions-cutting requirement could jeopardise the Browse, Scarborough and Pluto Train 2 projects.

Woodside Energy chief of operations Meg O’Neill says it is “disappointing and concerning” that the EPA is putting out greenhouse gas emissions guidelines without consultation.

“Alarm bells should be ringing well beyond our industry as the EPA guideline provides a roadmap for those wishing to mount legal challenges to any industrial projects on the grounds of their emissions,” Ms O’Neill said at the recent Australasian Oil and Gas (AOG) conference in Perth.

“If this guideline is allowed to stand, it leaves Western Australia unfairly exposed and at a competitive disadvantage to other states.”

Woodside’s Burrup Hub wants to obtain 20 to 25 trillion cubic feet of gross dry gas resources from the Scarborough, Browse and Pluto sites, but says it needs to know from the WA Government how much this investment will cost.

But it appears that the WA Government itself is opposed to the EPA’s call.

“As the Premier has said on a number of occasions, the EPA’s guidelines are not the government’s and the Premier has made it clear that we will not be endorsing these guidelines,” Minister for Mines and Petroleum, Energy and Industrial Relations Bill Johnston said.

“We are absolutely determined to support job-creating LNG projects like Browse and Scarborough. As a responsible government, we must ensure projects like these are given long-term certainty.

“We will not adopt a policy that threatens jobs, or puts WA out of step with the rest of the nation on greenhouse matters.”