How are oil spills and gas blowouts prevented?
There have been no raw oil or gas spills or blowouts from exploration or production operations onshore in Victoria. Some wells dating from prior to the Second World War on the Lakes Entrance oil field were inadequately abandoned and allowed small quantities of oil to seep to the surface. The Department went through a program of identifying and properly plugging these wells. Operations can only be undertaken after the approval of an operation plan that addresses the environment and safety. An exploration well can blow out if unexpected high pressures are encountered. The risks are investigated by looking at pressures encountered in nearby wells. While drilling, flow into the well from reservoirs is controlled by mud whose density can be varied, depending on the pressure. Wells have manual and automatic safety valves at the top of the well to control the well. Drill sites are laid out so that any spill would be captured on site.
