TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2019

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has opened public submissions on a marine discharge consent application from OMV GSB Limited for activity in the Great South Basin, offshore Otago.

• The application is for discharges from a drill rig that is associated with OMV GSB’s Exploration and Appraisal Drilling Programme (EAD) within OMV’s exploration permit PEP 50119.

EPA’s General Manager of Climate, Land & Oceans Siobhan Quayle says: “OMV GSB’s marine discharge consent application is limited to the discharge of harmful substances from the hazardous and non-hazardous deck drains aboard a drill rig.”

“In its application OMV GSB stated that the discharge relates to offshore processing drainage from deck drains of a Mobile Offshore Drilling unit.

“Anyone who wants to make a submission can do so up until Monday 27 May 2019. Once submissions close, a public hearing must be held within 40 working days,” says Ms Quayle.

Read more information about the application
Make a submission on the EPA’s website

Background: This type of discharge from a drill rig is a discretionary activity that is a publicly notified process under the EEZ Act.

• The applicant needs an additional marine consent for any drilling to go ahead, which will be granted or refused by an EPA-appointed Decision-making Committee. As the EEZ Act regulations classify exploration drilling as a non-notified process, a public hearing or submission process does not take place for that application.

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