Mining Co to Explore for Oil, Gas in Limmen National Park
Posted: Fri 23 Aug, 2013 1:04 pmhttp://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-23/m ... ed/4907494
The Northern Territory Government has granted a mining company a shale gas and oil exploration licence partly covering the Limmen National Park in the Gulf country.
Imperial Oil and Gas, a subsidiary of Empire Energy Group, says exploration work will begin early in next year's northern dry season.
The government approval follows an agreement with the Native Title claimants and the Northern Land Council (NLC) in June.
It is the first lease of Imperial's seven applications covering almost 60,000 square kilometres in the region to be granted.
The Environment Centre NT had urged the government to reject the exploration application, saying shale gas production in the national park would cause significant damage to the environment.
Boundaries of the Limmen National Park and Limmen Bight Marine Park were formally declared in March this year.
They cover an area of about 10,000 square kilometres on the western side of the Gulf of Carpentaria, about 500 kilometres south-east of Darwin.
The original boundaries proposed for the parks were reduced by about 20 per cent to allow mining companies to explore the region.
Also lost to the proposed parks area were prospective tenements in the Roper Bar region held by iron ore explorer Western Desert Resources.
The Northern Territory Government has granted a mining company a shale gas and oil exploration licence partly covering the Limmen National Park in the Gulf country.
Imperial Oil and Gas, a subsidiary of Empire Energy Group, says exploration work will begin early in next year's northern dry season.
The government approval follows an agreement with the Native Title claimants and the Northern Land Council (NLC) in June.
It is the first lease of Imperial's seven applications covering almost 60,000 square kilometres in the region to be granted.
The Environment Centre NT had urged the government to reject the exploration application, saying shale gas production in the national park would cause significant damage to the environment.
Boundaries of the Limmen National Park and Limmen Bight Marine Park were formally declared in March this year.
They cover an area of about 10,000 square kilometres on the western side of the Gulf of Carpentaria, about 500 kilometres south-east of Darwin.
The original boundaries proposed for the parks were reduced by about 20 per cent to allow mining companies to explore the region.
Also lost to the proposed parks area were prospective tenements in the Roper Bar region held by iron ore explorer Western Desert Resources.