OIL could begin washing up on the coast of South Australia within nine days of a major spill in the Great Australian Bight, modelling shows.

Emergency plans prepared by resources company BP to deal with an oil spill in the Bight have been released by federal authorities under freedom of information laws.

BP has dropped plans for exploratory drilling in the Bight but Norwegian company Equinor hopes to gain approval to drill next year.

Environment group Greenpeace said a spill in the Bight could be twice the scale of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico disaster, releasing the equivalent of 1.9 million barrels of crude oil into the ocean.

Equinor is yet to lodge environmental or safety plans with regulator the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority.

Marine life in Great Australian Bight Marine life in Great Australian Bight

Federal Resources Minister Matt Canavan said NOPSEMA couldn’t approve offshore petroleum activities unless they were demonstrated to be “safe for the environment, for the community and for offshore workers.’’

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said oil drilling should be permanently banned in the Bight to protect the environment and fishing industry.