The Enterprise natural gas reservoir is located in the Victorian State offshore petroleum permit VIC/L00745(V) and onshore PSDA007746 (see map above).

The onshore wellsite is approximately 4 km west of Port Campbell. The well path reaches approximately 2.5 km from the coastline to a depth range of 2.1 to 2.7 km below Mean Sea Level.

The approximately 11 km long pipeline (PL006998) connects the wellsite to Beach's Otway Gas Plant.

The Enterprise wellsite operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The wellsite is monitored and maintained from the Otway Gas Plant Central Control Room, located approximately 8 km north-east of the wellsite. Routine fortnightly inspections of the wellsite are undertaken during daylight hours.

Ongoing monitoring and maintenance activities at the wellsite facilities will include:

• routine wellsite surveillance and inspections
• regular weed and vegetation controls
• instrument calibration and testing
• valve and vessel inspection and functional testing
• wellhead servicing and testing
• well integrity monitoring
• pipeline maintenance and integrity management (in accordance with Pipeline Licence PL006998).

Non-routine activities such as well maintenance (if required) may occur during the operational life of the well and will be undertaken by specialist crews.

To access the offshore natural gas reservoir from the onshore well site, ‘extended reach drilling’ was used (see diagram above). This proven technology is safe, efficient and has minimal environmental impact.

The technique involved drilling up to 2700 metres below the surface, while using directional drilling techniques to steer the well offshore. A total drilling distance of approximately 3.5 kilometres below the seabed was reached at the gas reservoir under the seabed.

The Enterprise Project utilised conventional natural gas drilling and did not involve hydraulic fracturing (or ‘fracking’).

As the Enterprise Project involves an onshore wellsite, a well path from the wellsite that runs under the Port Campbell National Park to an offshore reservoir, and an underground pipeline from the wellsite to the Otway Gas Plant, there are several applicable acts and regulations including:

• Victorian Pipelines Act 2005 and associated regulations
• Victorian Petroleum Act 1998 and associated regulations
• Victorian Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2010
• Victorian Planning and Environment Act 1987
• Victorian National Parks Act 1940
• Commonwealth Native Title Act 1993

Approvals from the various local, State and Commonwealth regulatory authorities have been granted ahead of the commencement of the facilities commissioning and commencement of production of gas. To enable the production of gas through the existing well bore, Beach obtained a Section 40 Consent under the National Parks Act 1940.

Beach has undertaken consultation with the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation (EMAC) representatives since the inception of the Enterprise Project and has undertaken cultural heritage assessments for the Enterprise wellsite and pipeline with EMAC representatives and nominated cultural heritage specialist consultants. In November 2023, a Native Title agreement relating to the Enterprise Project was reached between the Eastern Maar Native Title Holders, the State of Victoria and Beach.

To enable the commencement of production of gas, the following documents were approved:

• Environment Plan for the production of gas from the offshore reservoir
• Operations Plan that included an Environmental Management Plan for the final commissioning and the ongoing production operations at the wellsite
• Safety and Environmental Management Plans for the operation of the pipeline (PL006998)

These plans describe the proposed activity, the environment that it is to occur in, and identify the potential impacts and risks associated with the activity and the measures that Beach is implementing to ensure that the impacts and risks are managed to as low as reasonably practicable, known as ‘ALARP’.