An oil spill that leaked into Darwin Harbour and the substantial under-reporting of toxic emissions has put Inpex, one of Australia's biggest gas companies, under federal investigation as scrutiny intensifies over its environmental record and oversight.

Earlier this month, Inpex admitted to drastically under-reporting several emissions in the 2023-24 financial year at its large-scale Ichthys onshore gas processing facility — on the edge of Darwin city.

The recalculated figures showed a 13,000 per cent increase in benzene levels — known to cause some cancers — revised from 4.12 tonnes, to 556.9 tonnes.

The figures also showed an 11,000 per cent increase in toluene emissions — which can irritate the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract — from 5 tonnes, to 496 tonnes.

The oil and gas gia

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