Sydney, Sept 27: Multinational gas exploration company TGS has abandoned plans for the world’s largest seismic blasting project in Australia’s Southern Ocean, after years of opposition from community, environmental, and First Nations groups.
The project, initially proposed in 2022, aimed to conduct seismic blasting across 7.7 million hectares of ocean off Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania.
The scope of the project had been reduced to 3.17 million hectares before being officially cancelled on Sept 26.
Seismic blasting, which involves airgun blasts every 10 seconds for offshore oil and gas exploration, raised concerns over its impact on endangered marine life, commercial fisheries, and key ecosystems, including blue whale habitats.
TGS faced significant delays in the approval process due to these environmental concerns and a lack of public consultation.
The project sparked widespread community resistance, with over 30,000 formal submissions, 10,000 letters to MPs, and local protests, culminating in the project’s cancellation.
Environmental groups such as Surfrider Foundation Australia and other local organizations played a pivotal role in opposing the project.
TGS cited competing global priorities for its decision to withdraw, and no further comment has been provided.
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