However the Wilderness Society says BP has tried to keep the locations of its planned exploration wells under the table.

"It's outrageous that BP has only finally quietly revealed where it plans to drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight two years after being asked and after two failed applications to drill have been lodged," director Peter Owen said.

BP first applied in 2015 to drill four exploration wells before resubmitting the plan earlier this year.

It will do so for a second time in August but only for two of the wells - which BP said were within a multiple-use zone covering commercial oil and gas activity.

It still hopes to start the project late this year.