EHS Support provided groundwater monitoring and hydrogeological assessment services to support the Lakes Blue Energy Wombat-5 gas exploration program in Victoria’s Gippsland Basin, helping to ensure that drilling and associated activities were conducted without adverse impacts to local groundwater systems.
The project involved the installation of a dedicated groundwater observation bore and the implementation of a targeted monitoring program to establish baseline conditions and assess any changes during and after drilling. Monitoring was undertaken across five groundwater monitoring events spanning pre-drilling, active drilling, and post-completion phases.
EHS Support designed and delivered a comprehensive sampling and analysis program in accordance with relevant national and Victorian guidance, including field measurements, laboratory testing for a broad suite of potential contaminants, and rigorous Quality Assurance/Quality Control procedures to ensure data reliability.
The assessment demonstrated that groundwater conditions remained broadly stable throughout the drilling program. While short-term fluctuations in groundwater levels were observed during active pumping and drilling, these were limited in magnitude, and groundwater levels recovered following completion of operations.
Water quality monitoring showed no evidence of contamination associated with drilling activities. Observed variations were consistent with natural background conditions and site‑specific hydrogeological characteristics, with no visual or olfactory indicators of contamination identified during fieldwork.
The work confirmed that drilling and associated groundwater use did not result in impacts to local aquifers, including those used for agricultural and domestic purposes in the surrounding area.
This project demonstrates EHS Support’s capability to deliver robust, regulator-aligned groundwater monitoring programs for energy projects, providing clients and stakeholders with confidence that operations can proceed while maintaining protection of environmental values.