Activity Summary

EOG Resources Australia Block WA-488 Pty Ltd (“EOG”) is the titleholder of permit WA-488-P, located in Commonwealth waters of the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf off the northern Western Australian (“WA”) coastline.

EOG proposes to undertake geotechnical investigations within an activity area located approximately 77 km offshore from the nearest WA coastline and 87 km from the Northern Territory (“NT”) coastline. The Geotech Activity covers an area of approximately 50 km2 and occurs in water depths ranging from 35 metres (“m”) to 50 m.

The purpose of the Geotech Activity is to assess and characterise the seabed and sub-seabed conditions to support any jack-up Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (“MODUs”) that could be used for the Beehive-1 Exploration Drilling or the Beehive Multi-Well Drilling (collectively the “proposed Drilling Activities”), as well as provide data for potential future wellsite placement. The geotechnical investigations acquire physical measurements and samples of the local shallow geology at and around potential MODU locations, using the following techniques:

• Borehole sampling to acquire high quality soils for laboratory testing to inform the detailed engineering design in the field; and
• Piezo cone penetrometer testing to determine seabed strength and general ground stratigraphy

Samples and data will be collected at up to 15 investigation sites within the Geotech Activity area. A Notice to Mariners and a 500 m Exclusion Safety Zone will be established around the investigation sites during the relevant Geotech Activity.

The Geotech Activity is scheduled to commence no earlier than October 2023 and will be completed no later than December 2025, with the exact timing dependent on the receipt of environmental approvals, vessel/equipment availability and fair sea state conditions suitable for operations. The Geotech Activity is estimated to take up to two weeks in total to complete, although this is dependent on the exact methods and technologies used as well as operational and weather conditions at the time.

The full description of the Geotech Activity is available in the Environment Plan (“EP”).