Gippsland Basin

Offshore Gippsland gas exploration, development, and onshore processing exclusively for Australia's domestic east coast market.

Our activities

The Gippsland Basin in South-east Australia is about 200 km east of Melbourne. It covers 46 000 km2. Two-thirds of the basin is located offshore.

Cooper Energy has eight offshore tenements in the Gippsland Basin (shown in green on the adjacent map). We hold 100% interest in these tenements and the Orbost Gas Processing Plant onshore near Orbost in East Gippsland, Victoria.


Onshore activities

Orbost gas processing plant

The Orbost-based plant processes natural gas extracted from our offshore Sole gas field. The Plant connects to the Eastern Gas Pipeline, which transports gas into the New South Wales or Victoria markets.

We acquired the plant in July 2022 to process natural gas from the offshore Gippsland Basin (our existing Sole gas field assets) for the South-east Australia domestic market.

Read the:

Orbost Gas Plant Safety Case Summary

Offshore activities

Cooper Energy produces natural gas from two wells in the Sole gas field which are about 65km offshore from Victoria's coastline. The Sole production wells were drilled in 2018 and continue to be operated, monitored and controlled through the Orbost Gas Processing Plant. The gas from the wells is connected to the onshore Orbost Gas Processing Plant via a pipeline and associated subsea infrastructure.

Additional offshore assets include

  • Basker Manta Gummy- non-producing wells and associated infrastructure in the Basker Manta Gummy field about 55km offshore from Cape Conran, Victoria, in water depths of about 54 metres. Planning and approvals have commenced for the decommissioning of these wells and infrastructure.
  • Patrica Baleen- non-producing wells and associated infrastructure in the Patricia Baleen field about 25km offshore from Marlo, East Gippsland, Victoria in water depths of about 125 metres.

The wells and infrastructure are sub-sea meaning they are not visible from the surface. They are subject to monitoring, regular inspections and testing as described in the extensive environment plan approved by the regulator (NOPSEMA).

Read the:

Annual Progress Report of the Basker, Manta, Gummy Field closure

Regulator acceptance of the Annual Progress Report of the Basker, Manta, Gummy Field closure

Cooper Energy interest and activity in the Gippsland Basin, by location.

Tenement Activity Location Cooper share
VIC/RL 13 (Basker-Manta-Gummy) retention offshore 100% operator
VIC/RL14 retention offshore 100% operator
VIC/RL15 retention offshore 100% operator
VIC/L32 (Sole) production offshore 100% interest
VIC/RL16 (Patricia-Baleen) retention offshore 100% interest
VIC/P72 exploration offshore 100% interest
VIC/P75 exploration offshore 100% interest
VIC/P80 exploration offshore 100% interest

More Information

In February 2021, remaining reserves in the Gippsland Basin were estimated at 1.8 Tcf (51.6 Gm3) of natural gas and ethane, and 109 MMbbls (17.3 GL) of oil and natural gas liquids (EnergyQuest, 2021).

Links to documents approved by the regulator- NOPSEMA

BMG Closure Project Annual Progress Report 2023

BMG Closure Project Annual Progress Report 2022

Project- Gippsland Offshore Development

Activity- Gippsland Offshore Operations

Offshore Operations Environment Plan Summary

EP Appendix- Description of the Environment

BMG Closure Project (Phase 1) Environment Plan

BMG Closure Project Annual Progress Report 2021

BMG Petroleum Safety Zone

NOPSEMA Key Matters Report