Any oil spill from BP’s proposed project in the Great Australian Bight would almost certainly hit some of South Australia's biggest tourism and aquaculture hotspots, research has shown.

Key points: BP's modelling shows an oil spill from the Great Australian Bight could travel thousands of kilometres

BP's modelling shows an oil spill from the Great Australian Bight could travel thousands of kilometres A spill would hit many SA tourist locations within days

A spill would hit many SA tourist locations within days The federal regulator is expected to decide on BP's plan next week.

The oil and gas firm's worst-case modelling released today showed a spill would definitely hit Port Lincoln and Kangaroo Island if it happened in April-May, and was highly likely to impact the region at any other time of year.

BP is awaiting environmental approval to begin exploration drilling for the first two wells of South Australia's west coast, about 600 kilometres west of Port Lincoln and 400 kilometres south-west of Ceduna.

A spill would more than likely impact Adelaide at any time of year, and the endangered southern right whale when they are nursing calves at the head of the Bight in winter.

The Wilderness Society's South Australian director Peter Owen said the figures contained in BP's report were alarming.

"This is catastrophic stuff, it must be stopped," Mr Owen said.

"It indicates that we could be looking at up to 4,000 kilometres of coastline with oil, 94 per cent chance of reaching Kangaroo Island with 15 days of a spill, 86 per cent of oil reaching Adelaide within 20 days of a spill," Mr Owen said.

Last year, the Wilderness Society released its own oil spill modelling into the possible effects.

The modelling released by BP paints a significantly worse picture.

According to the report, if a spill was to occur there would be a 70 per cent chance of reaching Apollo Bay and Wilsons Promontory, in Victoria, in winter.

Do you know more about this story? Email 7.30syd@your.abc.net.au

It would also have a 41 per cent chance of reaching the News South Wales south coast in winter.

"What BP have now put out makes what we put out, and commissioned look quite conservative," Mr Owen said.

"These are risks that we can't afford to take, we simply cannot afford to allow this to progress."

BP's worst case scenario modelling "assumes that no attempts to control, contain, disperse or recover an oil spill are attempted".

The report does not consider the fact that all of these measures would be employed in an actual spill event.

BP's environmental plan has twice been knocked back by the federal regulator National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA).

A decision on the company's third plan was expected next week but NOPSEMA has said it will deliver its next assessment decision for the plan by September 29.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 6 minutes 57 seconds 6 m BP renews its bid to explore for oil in the Great Australian Bight ( Alex Mann )

Local governments at odds over the proposal

District Council of Ceduna Mayor Allan Suter said BP's plan to build an aviation support base in the town would prove a valuable investment for the area.

"Small country towns are fighting for survival all the time," he said.

"Most of us are dying. From our point of view this is probably the most exciting thing that could happen."

He said he had some concerns about the plan's environmental impacts but said BP had been very "forthright" in providing the information the council required.

""We're comfortable that the risk is slight," he said.

Kangaroo Island Council Mayor Peter Clements, however, said Ceduna had been "hoodwinked" by BP.

"BP have done a sell job on them and it's wrong," he said.

"If the Environment Plan is approved then our work really begins from there. We're not just going to lay down and let it happen."

Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association director (SA and Northern Territory) Matt Doman said the industry had a track record in Australian waters.

He urged people to look at that when considering "whether or not it's an appropriate activity for South Australia".

"Incidents do occur from time to time but the industry does respond very quickly," Mr Doman said.