Sydney-UK major BP was awarded January 17 four new oil and gas permits offshore South Australia, but has had to meet additional conditions as a result of last year's Macondo oil spill disaster in the US Gulf of Mexico. The permits were among seven awarded by the Australian federal government from its 2009 acreage release in Commonwealth waters. A total of A$682 million ($674 million) in exploration spending has been committed in the permits in the first three years, Australian Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson said in a statement.
展开▼
