Stealth, Secrecy, and Environmental Risk: The Cooper Basin Carbon Storage Scandal
Posted on: 2025-01-31 15:11:12
In an astonishing display of corporate arrogance and government complicity, Santos and Beach Energy have pushed ahead with their controversial carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in the Cooper Basin—despite clear recommendations from the federal government's Senate Environment and Communications References Committee advising against such projects in the Great Artesian Basin (GAB). This reckless gamble with Australia’s most vital water resource has been conducted under a veil of secrecy, with key decision-makers brushing aside concerns from environmental experts and the wider community.
At a press conference earlier today, Santos CEO Kevin Gallagher exuded smug indifference when confronted about opposition to the project. When asked, “What do you say to the naysayers?”, his dismissive response, “I don’t really need to say much, do I?”, spoke volumes about the unchecked power these corporations wield. He went on to admit, “I was very nervous and we’d given ourselves a bit of time to ramp this project up because we did not want anything going wrong because we knew that would be fuel and ammunition to all the so-called naysayers.”
This statement alone is an admission that the project had no ironclad guarantees of safety. Gallagher himself acknowledged the risks, yet the company proceeded regardless—betting on the hope that the long-term consequences would remain hidden long enough to avoid scrutiny. His words also expose the carefully orchestrated secrecy surrounding the project, a project that was deliberately fast-tracked before public resistance could mount.
The Ignored Scientific Warnings
The Australian Government’s Geological and Bioregional Assessment Program, in its Fact Sheet 8, has already identified a degree of connectivity between the Cooper Basin, the overlying Eromanga Basin, and the Great Artesian Basin aquifers. In other words, leaks from petroleum wells in these basins could contaminate the GAB—the same water source that sustains vast swathes of inland Australia. The report explicitly states, “Early results indicate that there is likely to be a degree of connectivity between the Cooper Basin and the overlying Eromanga Basin (GAB), however the timescale on which such exchanges occur is unknown.”
And yet, in defiance of this evidence, Gallagher proclaimed the project a “success.” Success for whom? Certainly not for the landholders, communities, and ecosystems that rely on the GAB. Given that there is no scientifically available data on how long it takes for contaminants to reach the GAB, Gallagher cannot possibly know whether this project has already caused irreversible damage.
This is not just negligence—it is a reckless roll of the dice with Australia’s water security.
Corporate Expansion at the Cost of Environmental Security
Gallagher further hinted at long-term ambitions, stating that there was an “opportunity to kick on in the region”—a clear indication that this is merely the beginning of a broader expansion plan. The people of South Australia should be deeply concerned.
While Santos claims Australia is a unique leader in CCS, Gallagher’s own words betray a contradiction: “Other countries want to compete with us in CCS.” If Australia is so uniquely suited for this technology, why is it facing international competition? The reality is that CCS is a flawed, unproven, and expensive distraction from real climate solutions. Worse still, it provides a greenwashing shield for fossil fuel giants to continue business as usual under the guise of environmental responsibility.
The State Government’s Complicity
The South Australian government, led by Premier Peter Malinauskas, has been complicit in this environmental vandalism, placing short-term economic gains over long-term sustainability. They will not be here when the full repercussions of this recklessness emerge. They will not face the consequences when leaks inevitably occur. The rural communities, traditional landowners, and future generations will be left to bear the brunt of their irresponsible decisions.
The Time to Act is Now
We cannot allow corporate interests and political expediency to dictate the fate of one of Australia’s most vital natural resources. The community must demand transparency, accountability, and an immediate halt to further CCS expansion in the Cooper Basin.
This is more than just a policy failure—it is a betrayal of the Australian people. If we remain silent, we surrender our water, our land, and our future to the greed of a few. The alarm has been sounded—will we listen?
Author: Jason Wright