mo4ch:>Great Australian Bight: Equinor abandons controversial oil drilling plans

Great Australian Bight: Equinor abandons controversial oil drilling plansGreat Australian Bight: Equinor abandons controversial oil drilling plans25 February 2020 Image copyrightBrad LeueImage captionDrilling in the Great Australian Bight could spoil the marine environment, critics arguedOil giant Equinor has abandoned controversial plans to drill in the Great Australian Bight in a move hailed by environmentalists as a "huge win".The Norwegian firm was granted approval last December to begin exploratory drills in seas off South Australia.But on Tuesday it told regulators the plan was "not commercially competitive" compared to other options.Australia's government said the withdrawal was disappointing.The Great Australian Bight, a stretch of coastline in South Australia, is said to be one of the most unspoiled marine environments in the world. Equinor is now the third oil and gas company to have abandoned proposals for drilling in the area since 2016, after competi…