RCMA approved for oil well

Singapore-based RCMA Group has secured environmental approval for an oil exploration well in Beekeepers Nature Reserve near Dongara.

The Cervantes-01 well will be conventional, with no fracking, and the approval will be in effect for six months.

The Environmental Protection Authority said the site would involve 5 hectares of clearing.

The documents show RCMA is a part of Jade Energy, a privately owned Singapore energy trader and retailer.

It owns and operates the Jingemia Production Facility, which it bought into in 2017.

EPA chair Matthew Tonts said the EPA had considered minimisation measures proposed by the RCMA, as well as the relatively small area of disturbance.

“The EPA is satisfied that the risk of impacts such as unplanned fire, weed and disease introduction and spread within the Beekeepers Nature Reserve have been planned for and will be mitigated with the EPA’s recommended conditions,” Professor Tonts said.

“During its assessment, the EPA took into account the short timeframe of the project and measures proposed to minimise environmental impact including locating the well to avoid the sensitive dunes in the reserve and accommodating personnel in an offsite camp to minimise clearing.

“It should also be noted that if any future production or hydraulic fracture stimulation were proposed for this site, a separate assessment and approvals process would be required.”