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# Regulator warns Santos over excess flaring at Barossa
- URL: https://www.bushletter.com/regulator-warns-santos-over-barossa-flaring/
- Published: 2026-10-30T03:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-30T02:59:59.000Z
- Description: NOPSEMA says Santos burned more fuel and flared more gas than its environment plan allowed for, and had not fixed the problems months after a first warning.
- Author: Bushletter Newsroom
- Tags: Energy, Environment, Australia

TLDR

The offshore oil and gas regulator NOPSEMA has warned Santos that fuel use and gas flaring at its Barossa project ran above the estimates in its environment plan, and that the problems had not been fixed months after inspectors first raised them, according to a letter reported by the ABC. Santos says it has not faced enforcement action.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

01NOPSEMA warned Santos after a March inspection of its Darwin Harbour facility found parts of its environment plan on fuel management and flaring were not being implemented.

02A later inspection of the offshore Barossa facility found the issues had not been addressed, which NOPSEMA called 'continued non-compliance'.

03Fuel use and flaring were above the estimates in the plan for the commissioning phase, a NOPSEMA spokesperson said.

04Santos says it has faced no enforcement action and no notice of non-compliance over fuel and flare obligations.

05NOPSEMA asked for a review of the environment plan and planned another inspection in the third quarter of 2026.

Australia's offshore oil and gas regulator has warned Santos that it is failing to manage fuel use and gas flaring at its $5.6 billion Barossa project as promised, and that problems inspectors raised months ago had not been fixed.[\[1\]](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-29/santos-warned-over-barossa-non-compliance-flaring/107284152?ref=bushletter.com)

In a letter seen by the ABC, the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) said it issued a warning after inspecting Santos's onshore facility on Darwin Harbour in March, where key parts of the company's environment plan on fuel management and flaring were not being carried out. A later inspection of the offshore Barossa facility, about 300 kilometres north of Darwin in the Timor Sea, found the issues remained. "This exhibition of continued non-compliance, several months after the issues were initially raised, is of concern to NOPSEMA," the letter said.[\[1\]](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-29/santos-warned-over-barossa-non-compliance-flaring/107284152?ref=bushletter.com)

## More flaring than planned

"The warning followed inspection findings that Santos was not adequately setting, monitoring and managing fuel and flare performance in line with its environment plan commitments," a NOPSEMA spokesperson told the ABC. "Both fuel use and flaring were above the estimates outlined in the plan for the hook-up and commissioning phase."[\[1\]](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-29/santos-warned-over-barossa-non-compliance-flaring/107284152?ref=bushletter.com) Inspectors also said "ineffective" management of environmentally relevant equipment may point to a "broader systemic issue".[\[1\]](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-29/santos-warned-over-barossa-non-compliance-flaring/107284152?ref=bushletter.com)

Santos rejected any suggestion it was in breach. A spokesperson said the company "has not faced any enforcement action from NOPSEMA in respect of the Barossa Project nor has it received any notice of non-compliance in relation to any fuel and flare obligations, including reporting requirements, in the environment plan". The company said its plan allows it to review estimates over the project's life and that it had agreed a forward plan with the regulator.[\[1\]](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-29/santos-warned-over-barossa-non-compliance-flaring/107284152?ref=bushletter.com)

## A gas field already under scrutiny

Barossa began shipping gas from Darwin to Japan after years of delays.[\[1\]](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-29/santos-warned-over-barossa-non-compliance-flaring/107284152?ref=bushletter.com) Kevin Morrison of the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis said the overruns meant "the project's emissions and pollution is higher than forecast", noting Barossa has "the highest CO2 concentration in any gas field developed for LNG exports".[\[1\]](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-29/santos-warned-over-barossa-non-compliance-flaring/107284152?ref=bushletter.com) Santos's Darwin LNG plant, which processes Barossa gas, has also been leaking methane from a storage tank for years, the ABC has reported.[\[1\]](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-29/santos-warned-over-barossa-non-compliance-flaring/107284152?ref=bushletter.com)

NOPSEMA asked Santos to explain how it would fix the problems, review its environment plan and track its performance, and scheduled another inspection for the third quarter of 2026\. It did not say whether that inspection has happened or whether it will take further action.[\[1\]](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-29/santos-warned-over-barossa-non-compliance-flaring/107284152?ref=bushletter.com)

SOURCES & CITATIONS

1. [National regulator flags 'concerns' with gas giant Santos after Barossa project inspections, ABC News](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-29/santos-warned-over-barossa-non-compliance-flaring/107284152?ref=bushletter.com)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What did NOPSEMA say about Santos?

In a letter reported by the ABC, NOPSEMA said Santos was not implementing parts of its Barossa environment plan on fuel management and flaring, and described 'continued non-compliance' months after first raising the issues.

What is flaring?

Flaring is the controlled burning of gas, which releases carbon dioxide. NOPSEMA said both fuel use and flaring at Barossa were above the estimates in Santos's environment plan for the commissioning phase.

What does Santos say?

Santos says it has faced no enforcement action and no notice of non-compliance over its fuel and flare obligations, and that it has agreed a forward plan with NOPSEMA.

What happens next?

NOPSEMA asked Santos to review its environment plan and track its performance, and planned another inspection in the third quarter of 2026.