By Bianca Hall,Hamish Hastie,Nick Toscano

Copyright theage

These included the level of limits on industrial emissions from the gas processing plant, which could damage the Murujuga rock art.

However, the conditions announced by Watt on Friday would require Woodside to reduce certain gas emissions below their current levels – in some cases by 60 per cent.

Woodside’s North West Shelf operations will also be required to achieve net zero status by 2050, meaning they would need to dramatically cut their carbon footprints, and offset whatever emissions remain.

The decision to greenlight the project’s decades-long extension has been cheered by the gas industry as recognition of an enduring need for the fossil fuel, even as the world transitions to cleaner energy. However, it has faced fierce opposition from climate activists, scientists and First Nations groups concerned about its impact on climate change and the environment.

Woodside’s Karratha gas processing plant is less than one kilometre away from the 60,000-year-old World Heritage-listed Aboriginal rock art, known locally as Murujuga.