Protected Carbon in Australia

Affected Areas

These protected areas in Australia contain current or planned fossil fuel projects. Oil, gas, and coal extraction in protected areas harms their natural value while contributing to climate change.

  • Fossil Fuel Type
  • Affected Area
  • Oil & Gas
  • Alexander Morrison
  • Oil & Gas
  • Argo-Rowley Terrace
  • Oil & Gas
  • Barrow Island
  • Oil & Gas
  • Beekeepers
  • Oil & Gas
  • Birriliburu
  • Oil & Gas
  • Boodie, Double Middle Islands
  • Oil & Gas
  • Boonanarring
  • Oil & Gas
  • Coongie Lakes
  • Oil & Gas
  • Dharawal
  • Oil & Gas
  • Expedition (Limited Depth)
  • Oil & Gas
  • Gascoyne
  • Oil & Gas
  • Gilmore
  • Oil & Gas
  • Great Australian Bight
  • Oil & Gas
  • Great Barrier Reef
  • Oil & Gas
  • Great Western Tiers
  • Oil & Gas
  • Gulf of Carpentaria
  • Oil & Gas
  • Innamincka
  • Oil & Gas
  • Joseph Bonaparte Gulf
  • Oil & Gas
  • Karajarri
  • Oil & Gas
  • Katiti Petermann
  • Oil & Gas
  • Kimberley
  • Oil & Gas
  • Limmen
  • Oil & Gas
  • Lower Glenelg
  • Oil & Gas
  • Montebello
  • Oil & Gas
  • Montebello Islands
  • Oil & Gas
  • Moore River
  • Oil & Gas
  • Mount Barney
  • Oil & Gas
  • Mount Willoughby
  • Oil & Gas
  • Mulligan River
  • Oil & Gas
  • Munga-Thirri--Simpson Desert
  • Oil & Gas
  • Newlands
  • Oil & Gas
  • Oceanic Shoals
  • Oil & Gas
  • South-East Arnhem Land
  • Oil & Gas
  • Strzelecki
  • Oil & Gas
  • Thevenard Island
  • Oil & Gas
  • Toolonga
  • Oil & Gas
  • Unnamed (No.HA560)
  • Oil & Gas
  • Yardanogo
  • Oil & Gas
  • Yengo

Extraction Data

This table shows a summary of potential emissions from fossil fuel extraction projects in protected areas in Australia (including projects that are currently extracting, planned or idled).

  • Fossil Fuel Type
  • Fossil Fuel Quantity
  • CO2 Quantity (MT CO2e)
  • Oil & Gas
  • 1,365.74 MMBOE
  • 571.70
  • Coal
  • 0.00
  • 0.00
  • Combined
  • 571.70

Deposits Data

This table shows a summary of potential emissions from fossil fuel deposits under protected areas in Australia. Many of these are not yet the target of any industry activities and could more easily become part of a non-extraction policy.

  • Fossil Fuel Type
  • CO2 Quantity (MT CO2e)
  • Oil & Gas
  • 24,892.38
  • Coal
  • 100,000.00
  • Combined
  • 100,000.00

Early Warnings

This table shows untouched protected areas that have planned carbon extraction projects, along with their respective startup dates.

  • Affected Area
  • Startup Date
  • Montebello
  • 2028
  • Munga-Thirri--Simpson Desert
  • 2028
  • Oceanic Shoals
  • 2031
  • Gascoyne
  • 2032
  • Expedition (Limited Depth)
  • 2033
  • Karajarri
  • 2040
  • Beekeepers
  • 2041
  • Birriliburu
  • 2043
  • Kimberley
  • 2044
  • Toolonga
  • 2044
  • Boodie, Double Middle Islands
  • 2045
  • Mount Barney
  • 2045
  • Boonanarring
  • 2046
  • Mount Willoughby
  • 2046
  • Yengo
  • 2047
  • Joseph Bonaparte Gulf
  • 2052
  • Moore River
  • 2054
  • Alexander Morrison
  • 2057
  • Argo-Rowley Terrace
  • 2058
  • Mulligan River
  • 2062
  • Great Australian Bight
  • 2065
  • Gulf of Carpentaria
  • 2067
  • Great Western Tiers
  • 2069
  • South-East Arnhem Land
  • 2071
  • Limmen
  • 2100
  • Lower Glenelg
  • 2100
  • Newlands
  • 2100
  • Unnamed (No.HA560)
  • 2100

Profiting Companies

  • Fossil Fuel Type
  • Profiting Company
  • Oil & Gas
  • AGL Energy
  • Oil & Gas
  • Apex
  • Oil & Gas
  • Armour Energy
  • Oil & Gas
  • Bass Oil Limited
  • Oil & Gas
  • Beach Energy Limited
  • Oil & Gas
  • Bharat Petroleum Corp (BPCL)
  • Oil & Gas
  • Bounty Oil and Gas NL
  • Oil & Gas
  • BP
  • Oil & Gas
  • BR Cyrano Pty Ltd
  • Oil & Gas
  • Buru Energy
  • Oil & Gas
  • Central Petroleum
  • Oil & Gas
  • Chelsea Oil & Gas
  • Oil & Gas
  • Chevron
  • Oil & Gas
  • CNOOC
  • Oil & Gas
  • ConocoPhillips
  • Oil & Gas
  • Cooper Energy
  • Oil & Gas
  • Crestal Petroleum
  • Oil & Gas
  • Empire Energy Group Ltd.
  • Oil & Gas
  • Energy Exploration Pty Ltd
  • Oil & Gas
  • Energy World
  • Oil & Gas
  • ExxonMobil
  • Oil & Gas
  • Gidgee Energy
  • Oil & Gas
  • Icon Energy
  • Oil & Gas
  • Inpex
  • Oil & Gas
  • IPB Petroleum Limited
  • Oil & Gas
  • JERA
  • Oil & Gas
  • Korea Gas
  • Oil & Gas
  • Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC)
  • Oil & Gas
  • Kuwait Petroleum Corp (KPC)
  • Oil & Gas
  • Melbana Energy Limited
  • Oil & Gas
  • Metgasco
  • Oil & Gas
  • Mineral Resources
  • Oil & Gas
  • Mitsubishi Corp
  • Oil & Gas
  • Mitsui
  • Oil & Gas
  • New Hope Group
  • Oil & Gas
  • Octanex NL
  • Oil & Gas
  • Open acreage
  • Oil & Gas
  • Origin Energy
  • Oil & Gas
  • Ormil Energy
  • Oil & Gas
  • Osaka Gas
  • Oil & Gas
  • Petrex Australia
  • Oil & Gas
  • PetroChina
  • Oil & Gas
  • Petronas
  • Oil & Gas
  • RCMA Energy
  • Oil & Gas
  • Red Sky Energy
  • Oil & Gas
  • Relinquished
  • Oil & Gas
  • Santos
  • Oil & Gas
  • Shell
  • Oil & Gas
  • Sinopec Group (parent)
  • Oil & Gas
  • Strike Energy
  • Oil & Gas
  • Synergia Energy
  • Oil & Gas
  • Theia Energy
  • Oil & Gas
  • Tokyo Gas
  • Oil & Gas
  • TotalEnergies
  • Oil & Gas
  • Tri-Star
  • Oil & Gas
  • Vintage Energy
  • Oil & Gas
  • Warrego Energy Limited
  • Oil & Gas
  • Woodside

Map

Sources

  • Protected Areas: UNEP-WCMC and IUCN, Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas. October 2023.
  • Oil & gas extraction: Rystad Energy, U Cube Upstream Oil and Natural Gas Solution. October 2023.
  • Coal extraction: Global Energy Monitor, Global Coal Mine Tracker. October 2023.
  • CO2 equivalencies: Kühne, Kjell, Big numbers for bold activists: A quick method for estimating potential emissions of fossil fuel projects. Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 79, September 2021.
  • Reserves & resources: German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), German and Global Energy Supplies. 2021.

Disclaimer

This page was created using the best data available. Despite this, errors and omissions are likely. Please contact our team with any errors or confirmation requests you may have. Further information on sources and methodology is available on our data page.