Varanus Island

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Varanus Iceland (German Monitor Lizard Island ) is the largest island of the archipelago Lowendal. It lies in the Indian Ocean off the northwest coast of Western Australia in Australia near Karratha in the Pilbara region between Barrow Island and the Montebello Islands. It is 2.5 km long and 600 m wide and covers an area of ​​83 hectares.

Environment

The island is composed of limestone and is heavily karstified, therefore it is only slightly overgrown with plants.

In the waters around the island grow coral reefs, sea grass and algae, and come before the endemic flatback turtle, dolphins, dugong and green turtle. The island is, like the other islands of the archipelago Lowendal, a nature reserve, nest in the numerous bird colonies.

The island is located in the area of ​​Simpson Oil Field.

Australian gas crisis

The island is home to facilities for the extraction of oil and natural gas deposits of Harriet and East Spar oil field, the Bond Corporation developed in 1987. They are known as Varanus Iceland Processing Hub and owned by the Australian subsidiary of the Texas Apache Corporation.

On 3 June 2008, the gas pipeline of the Apache Energy oil company exploded, put the factory plant on the island on fire and destroyed, had the local staff, about 140 people to be evacuated with aviation witnesses. The explosion reduced the gas volume to one third of Australia and led to a gas supply crisis in Australia. Apache Energy needed two months before the plant could be brought up to half of their previous capacity.