❓ (1) When did the Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration (DMPE, formerly DEMIRS) first become aware that Buru Energy Ltd was conducting, or was planning to conduct, a transportation program inv
AnsweredQoN 1350Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
(1) When did the Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration (DMPE, formerly DEMIRS) first become aware that Buru Energy Ltd was conducting, or was planning to conduct, a transportation program involving the trucking of oily hydrocarbon sludge from its Wyndham oil export facility in the East Kimberley to its Ungani oil production facility in the West Kimberley? (2) Did DMPE discover Buru Energy’s oily hydrocarbon sludge transportation plan before or after it had commenced? (3) If
DMPE discovered Buru Energy’s transport of the oily hydrocarbon sludge from
Wyndham to Ungani after it had commenced, did this constitute a breach of Buru
Energy’s licence conditions applying to the operation of the Ungani oil
production facility and/or Buru Energy’s petroleum transport and export licence: (a) if
yes to (3), did DMPE take any regulatory action; and (b) if
not, why not? (4) When
did DMPE approve Buru Energy’s transportation and storage plan for the oily
hydrocarbon sludge? (5) How
much oily hydrocarbon sludge did DMPE approve for transport and storage by Buru
Energy Ltd, in litres and tonnes? (6) When
did the first load of sludge depart from Wyndham? (7) When
did the last load of oily hydrocarbon sludge depart Wyndham? (8) How
many truck loads of oily hydrocarbon sludge were required to transport the oily
hydrocarbon sludge from Wyndham to Ungani? (9) Under
what statutory approval provisions and in what documentary form did DMPE
approve Buru Energy’s transport and storage of the oily hydrocarbon sludge from
Wyndham to Ungani? (10) Were
any conditions attached to or applied to DMPE’s approval of Buru Energy’s
transport and storage of the oily hydrocarbon sludge: (a) if
yes to (10), what were those conditions? (11) Will
DMPE table any approval or licencing documents relating to Buru Energy’s
transport to and storage of the oily hydrocarbon sludge at Ungani: (a) if
no to (11), why not? (12) For
what time period was Buru Energy licenced by DMPE to store the oily hydrocarbon
sludge in open facilities at Ungani? (13) Did
DMPE approve the storage of the oily hydrocarbon sludge in open ponds or dams for
several months over the Kimberley wet season: (a) if
yes to (13), why? (14) Was
the open facility at Ungani designed for the storage of oily hydrocarbon sludge
over a Kimberley wet season? (15) Was
the open storage facility at Ungani licenced for the storage of oily
hydrocarbon sludge: (a) if
yes to (15), will DMPE table the licence; and (b) if
not, why not? (16) In
total, for how long was the oily hydrocarbon sludge stored in an open pond or
dam at Ungani?
DMPE discovered Buru Energy’s transport of the oily hydrocarbon sludge from
Wyndham to Ungani after it had commenced, did this constitute a breach of Buru
Energy’s licence conditions applying to the operation of the Ungani oil
production facility and/or Buru Energy’s petroleum transport and export licence: (a) if
yes to (3), did DMPE take any regulatory action; and (b) if
not, why not? (4) When
did DMPE approve Buru Energy’s transportation and storage plan for the oily
hydrocarbon sludge? (5) How
much oily hydrocarbon sludge did DMPE approve for transport and storage by Buru
Energy Ltd, in litres and tonnes? (6) When
did the first load of sludge depart from Wyndham? (7) When
did the last load of oily hydrocarbon sludge depart Wyndham? (8) How
many truck loads of oily hydrocarbon sludge were required to transport the oily
hydrocarbon sludge from Wyndham to Ungani? (9) Under
what statutory approval provisions and in what documentary form did DMPE
approve Buru Energy’s transport and storage of the oily hydrocarbon sludge from
Wyndham to Ungani? (10) Were
any conditions attached to or applied to DMPE’s approval of Buru Energy’s
transport and storage of the oily hydrocarbon sludge: (a) if
yes to (10), what were those conditions? (11) Will
DMPE table any approval or licencing documents relating to Buru Energy’s
transport to and storage of the oily hydrocarbon sludge at Ungani: (a) if
no to (11), why not? (12) For
what time period was Buru Energy licenced by DMPE to store the oily hydrocarbon
sludge in open facilities at Ungani? (13) Did
DMPE approve the storage of the oily hydrocarbon sludge in open ponds or dams for
several months over the Kimberley wet season: (a) if
yes to (13), why? (14) Was
the open facility at Ungani designed for the storage of oily hydrocarbon sludge
over a Kimberley wet season? (15) Was
the open storage facility at Ungani licenced for the storage of oily
hydrocarbon sludge: (a) if
yes to (15), will DMPE table the licence; and (b) if
not, why not? (16) In
total, for how long was the oily hydrocarbon sludge stored in an open pond or
dam at Ungani?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
5 May 2026
Responded by
Minister for the Environment representing the Minister for Mines and Petroleum
Response time
3 days
The program the member refers to was for the transportation and storage of hydrocarbons and not “oily hydrocarbon sludge” as described.
(1)-(3) Arrangements were covered by Buru Energy Ltd’s (Buru Energy) Ungani Production Facility Commissioning and Operations Environment Plan , approved on 11 October 2022. Buru Energy submitted information about the proposal to transport and temporarily store the hydrocarbons at the Ungani Production Facility to the Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration (DMPE) on 28 September 2023 in accordance with Departmental guidelines.
(4) 29 September 2023.
(5) Approximately 1,287 kL.
(6)-(8) The environment plan did not require Buru Energy to notify DMPE when transportation commenced or ceased.
(9) The statutory approval provisions are contained in Regulation 7(2) of the Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources (Environment) Regulations 2012 . The approval for the transport and storage of the hydrocarbons was in the form of an email.
(10) No.
(11) Information received as part of any petroleum application is permanently confidential under the State’s petroleum legislative framework. The relevant Production Licences and summaries of environment plans are publicly accessible via the DMPE website.
(12) Buru Energy proposed to store the hydrocarbons at the Ungani Production Facility until at least July 2024.
(13) DMPE accepted the proposal for temporary storage in an existing lined storage pond that was designed for temporary storage of hydrocarbons and/or produced formation water containing hydrocarbons as the proposal aligned with petroleum environment regulatory approvals and guidelines.
(14) Yes.
(15) The storage arrangements were covered by the Ungani Production Facility Commissioning and Operations Environment Plan .
(16) Approximately 14 months.
(1)-(3) Arrangements were covered by Buru Energy Ltd’s (Buru Energy) Ungani Production Facility Commissioning and Operations Environment Plan , approved on 11 October 2022. Buru Energy submitted information about the proposal to transport and temporarily store the hydrocarbons at the Ungani Production Facility to the Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration (DMPE) on 28 September 2023 in accordance with Departmental guidelines.
(4) 29 September 2023.
(5) Approximately 1,287 kL.
(6)-(8) The environment plan did not require Buru Energy to notify DMPE when transportation commenced or ceased.
(9) The statutory approval provisions are contained in Regulation 7(2) of the Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources (Environment) Regulations 2012 . The approval for the transport and storage of the hydrocarbons was in the form of an email.
(10) No.
(11) Information received as part of any petroleum application is permanently confidential under the State’s petroleum legislative framework. The relevant Production Licences and summaries of environment plans are publicly accessible via the DMPE website.
(12) Buru Energy proposed to store the hydrocarbons at the Ungani Production Facility until at least July 2024.
(13) DMPE accepted the proposal for temporary storage in an existing lined storage pond that was designed for temporary storage of hydrocarbons and/or produced formation water containing hydrocarbons as the proposal aligned with petroleum environment regulatory approvals and guidelines.
(14) Yes.
(15) The storage arrangements were covered by the Ungani Production Facility Commissioning and Operations Environment Plan .
(16) Approximately 14 months.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.