APACHE Energy is trying to stop a joint Federal-State Government inquiry from seeing certain documents it provided for the National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority (NOPSA) investigation into the Varanus explosion.
Apache says it provided confidential and “commercially sensitive” information to NOPSA, which should not have been disclosed to or used by the joint inquiry.
Apache has applied to the Federal Court in Perth to prevent the inquiry panel members from using the information from NOPSA’s investigation into the technical causes of the explosion on 3 June 2008.
The incident left cut Western Australia’s gas supplies by a third.
If the Federal Court rules in favour of the energy company, the inquiry’s report would have to be rewritten or the inquiry itself will need to be held again.
The sensitive information is contained in NOPSA’s investigative report into the incident. It found that Apache had failed to conduct maintenance and repair activities for 16 years on the gas pipeline.
Apache dismissed the report as “incomplete” and “premature.”
Apache is concerned that adverse findings by the joint inquiry will affect its licenses, and negatively impact on its future bids for exploration permits.
The energy company is still yet to confirm when the Varanus Island facility will return to full production.
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