NARRABRI GAS PROJECT
Santos’ Narrabri Gas Project could bring substantial economic benefits to Narrabri and the region.
Santos is a global energy company with operations across Australia, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Timor-Leste and the United States of America (USA). Santos is an important Australian domestic gas supplier and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplier in Asia.
For 70 years, Santos has been working in partnership with local communities, providing jobs and business opportunities, safely developing natural gas resources to power industries and households.
Narrabri Gas Project
The Narrabri Gas Project (the Project) involves the development and production of natural gas near Narrabri in New South Wales. We have approval to drill up to 850 gas wells on up to 425 well pads and to construct and operate gas processing and water treatment facilities.
Santos has committed 100 per cent of Narrabri gas to the east coast domestic market helping bring energy security to the region. Santos is proposing to deliver this gas via two pipelines – the Narrabri Lateral Pipeline (NLP) and the Hunter Gas Pipeline (HGP) which, once constructed, will tie-into the existing gas transmission network near Newcastle.
The Project will:
Produce enough gas to supply up to 50 per cent of New South Wales’ natural gas needs for energy, heating, cooking and manufacturing.
Santos is committed to delivering these important projects safely and sustainably, with feedback from stakeholders, landholders and the community critical to our planning and delivery.
The regulations covering natural gas extraction in NSW are among the most stringent in the world and Santos adopts the highest industry standards to ensure our activities do not have an adverse impact on the environment.
Natural gas is an important part of our local energy supply, generating the electricity we need to cook our food, light our homes, and power our businesses. Natural gas will continue to play a critical role in NSW’s energy transition, as the state moves away from coal-fired power stations. Natural gas is a cleaner-burning fuel than coal, emitting about half as much carbon dioxide when used for power generation. Natural gas can also support renewable energy sources like wind and solar, by providing peak power in times of high demand or when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing.
– In NSW, more than 1 million homes and 33,000 small businesses rely on natural gas. Despite having significant undeveloped gas resources underfoot, NSW currently imports 100 per cent of its supply from
interstate
– Natural gas is not only used to generate electricity, but is also used for cooking, heating and to fuel the industrial processes that produce many everyday household items including medical supplies, steel, bricks, glass and even fertiliser.
– With gas shortfalls predicted, Santos is planning to deliver this Project, which will allow NSW to develop its own resources for the state, putting downward pressure on gas and electricity prices for families, businesses and manufacturers.
Project Status
The Environmental Impact Statement for the Project has been assessed and approved by both the Federal
and State Governments, with extensive community consultation throughout the assessment process.
The initial stages of the Project involved the development of appraisal wells which are already delivering gas to the Wilga Park Power Station. The Wilga Park Power Station has an electricity generation capacity of 22 megawatts, enough to power the equivalent of 32,000 households across northwest NSW.
Santos is currently undertaking an Environmental Impact Assessment process for the Narrabri Lateral Pipeline and is working to finalise the exact location of the Hunter Gas Pipeline within the approved 200m corridor, taking into consideration potential constructability issues, landholder feedback and preferences, and environmental considerations.
The goal is to work with infrastructure developers and landowners to construct the pipelines and deliver much-needed gas to east coast domestic markets in the shortest timeframe possible.Santos continues to consult with community members and organisations, including landholders, about the proposed activities.