The Conservation Council of Western Australia (CCWA) is calling for the rejection of Woodside Energy’s Pluto 4D Monitor 3 Marine Seismic Survey which poses unacceptable risks to sensitive marine environments, including endangered and migratory species. 

The seismic survey is earmarked to take place over 40 days between December 2026 to February 2027 in an operational area just 28 km north-west of the Montebello Islands, a protected marine conservation park.

During the public-comment period in March CCWA identified a number of gaps in Woodside's proposal, recommending NOPSEMA does not accept the proposal until these missing pieces are brought to light.

CCWA Executive Director Matt Roberts said the operational area and area that may be affected by toxic spills overlaps with the habitat, migration and breeding areas of multiple protected species.

“Seismic blasting is a highly destructive practice and the impacts on marine life must be taken seriously,” Mr Roberts said.

“Seismic blasting produces some of the loudest human-made sounds in the ocean, with noise levels often reaching 250 decibels or higher. These blasts are known to injure, displace and kill marine species.

“Sound from seismic blasting can travel for hundreds of kilometres underwater and creates internal waves of pressure as it moves through the ocean.

“NOPSEMA has prevented seismic surveying in sensitive environments in the past1 and we strongly urge the regulator to take a similar approach in this sensitive area.

“The science is clear. Seismic blasting injures the hearing of fish and lobsters, disrupts migration, stresses marine species to the point of death and affects whales and dolphins. The entire marine food web is impacted in some way by seismic blasting, from blue whales right down to plankton.

“The impact to critically endangered sea snakes in the area from seismic blasting could be especially pertinent, particularly given the relative absence of data on the causes of decline in these species.

“We’re alarmed about the number of gaping holes left by Woodside in this proposal. It has failed to consider the environmental impacts of seismic blasting or the impact of a pollution event on a number of EPBC listed species present within the operational area, including several whale species.

“Given the current risk to demersal scalefish in WA, as indicated by the declining spawning biomass, additional sources of potential impact require careful review.

“Above everything else, this is a proposal supporting new oil and gas extraction at a time when the climate is in crisis and we have a conflict in the Middle East that highlights the urgent need to move away from our reliance on fossil fuels.

“It should be stopped in its tracks.”

ENDS

Media contact: John Cooke – 0433 679 780

Key negative impacts, risks, and assessment findings include:

• Marine Fauna Injury: Seismic airguns can cause temporary or permanent hearing damage to whales, fish, and other marine life.
• Behavioral Disruption: The noise pollution can disrupt the communication, feeding, and migration patterns of endangered species, specifically pygmy blue whales.
• Sensitivity to Location & Timing: The survey area is near the UNESCO-protected Ningaloo Reef and intersects critical whale migration routes.
• Cumulative Environmental Impact: Concerns were raised regarding the combined impact of this survey with other nearby projects, such as the Scarborough drilling and completions activity.
• Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Assessment: NOPSEMA required Woodside to provide clearer information on how they addressed indirect GHG emissions (Scope 2 and 3) as part of the assessment.
• Insufficient Data for Assessment: NOPSEMA found that some studies and information regarding protected whale species, key ecological features, and cumulative impacts were missing or required further detail.
• Operational Risk Management: In past related activities (Pluto 4D MSS), NOPSEMA found that Woodside did not always adequately manage the risks of extending the duration of operations.

About Seismic Blasting

Seismic blasting is a practice used heavily in offshore fossil fuel exploration, and Carbon Capture and Storage (also referred to as Carbon Dumping or CCS).

During exploration, seismic surveys are used to map the geology of the seabed - up to 20kms below the ocean floor - to locate potential fossil fuel deposits within sub-bottom sedimentary layers.

In CCS, seismic blasting is used to map potential reservoirs within the seafloor geology and then required to map the movement of stored CO2 at regular intervals for the life of a project.

Seismic surveys use loud air guns (4,000 in³ array) towed behind seismic vessels in a grid pattern through the ocean. Low frequency blasts of up to 250dB are fired every 4-10 seconds, 24 hours a day for months on end. Sound from seismic blasting can travel for hundreds of kilometres underwater and creates internal waves of pressure as it moves through the ocean.