Gas leaks off WA raise fresh questions over offshore oil and gas oversight

Gas is leaking into the ocean from oil and gas infrastructure near some of Western Australia’s most ecologically important marine areas, prompting calls for urgent government intervention.

Chevron has confirmed ongoing gas seepage from wells near Barrow Island, a Class A Nature Reserve. This follows reporting of an unknown number of Santos wells leaking into the ocean at the Legendre field in 2023. 

Now, between Barrow Island and the Legendre field, Santos has admitted to 13 leaking sites at its Varanus Island operations. The company says these include gas escaping from wellheads, platform legs and the seabed.

The affected region includes habitat for humpback whales, turtles and dugongs. It sits near the Ningaloo World Heritage-listed marine park and is part of a globally significant biodiversity hotspot. Both Chevron and Santos have downplayed risks, describing the leaks as “small” or “natural.” 

Wilderness Society Fossil Fuel industry Campaigner Fern Cadman says:

“A third set of leaking wells all in the same region points to systemic failures in the regulation of oil and gas infrastructure in Australia. Our oil and gas regulators need to undertake a comprehensive investigation of oil and gas infrastructure across the country to determine the full extent of our leaky gas problem.” 

On 8 May 2025, in the same region as all these incidents, Australia’s national oil and gas regulator approved Santos to delay decommissioning of its Reindeer facilities while the company develops a proposal to pump carbon pollution beneath the sea floor.

The Wilderness Society believes carbon pollution dumping should be off the table in a region plagued by leaking wells and that decommissioning activities must be accelerated.

Wilderness Society Fossil Fuel industry Campaigner Fern Cadman says:

“NOPSEMA needs to enforce the obligations on companies to properly plug and abandon old wells, remove disused infrastructure and remediate damage to the ocean floor. It’s unacceptable that NOPSEMA has given Santos a ticket to delay clean up because of a risky and half-baked carbon pollution dumping project, especially in a region that’s leaking gas like a sieve."