Name of the Project
Narrabri gas project.

Location
The proposed Narrabri gas project is located in New South Wales, Australia, south-west of Narrabri.

Client
Santos NSW (Eastern).

Project Description
Santos is proposing to develop natural gas from coal seams in the Gunnedah basin. The project could supply up to 50% of New South Wales’ gas needs and provide significant benefits for the region and the state.

The proposal comprises the development of a gasfield with production and appraisal wells, gas and water gathering systems, and supporting infrastructure. The natural gas produced will be treated to commercial quality at a central gas-processing facility at a rural property owned by Santos and located south-west of Narrabri.

It is expected that up to 850 individual production wells, partnered to a maximum of 425 well sets, will be progressively advanced and decommissioned within the project area over the estimated 25-year life span of the project. This will include any core holes or pilots drilled as part of the exploration and appraisal programme that are converted to production wells.

The gas- and water-gathering systems, comprising a network of separate, low-pressure, underground pipelines, will link each wellhead to the infield compression gas-processing facility, and the water management, treatment and beneficial reuse facilities respectively.

The central gas-processing facility will be built and operated at the Leewood property, with some infield compression potentially also required closer to the central location of the wells, depending on gas pressure. Infield compression will comprise package compressors that boost the gas pressure to allow for its being transported through one pipe to the central gas-processing facility.

The gas will be piped through a high-pressure gas-transmission pipeline to market, which is part of a separate approval process and not of the proposed development.

Jobs to be Created
The project could create about 1 300 jobs during the initial construction phase and about 200 permanent jobs, many of which will be locally based.

Value
The project is estimated at $2-billion.

Duration
Not stated.

Latest Developments
Santos has reaffirmed its commitment to developing the Narrabri gas project, with MD and CEO Kevin Gallagher saying the project could deliver a substantial share of the state’s gas needs.

Santos has spent nearly ten years and more than $1-billion trying to develop the Narrabri project.

However, Gallager has noted that, following the company’s recent lodgment of the State Significant Development Application, including the environmental-impact statement, the Department of Planning has received more than 23 000 submissions that need to be reviewed and responded to.

He says that “98% of the submissions are from people who live outside of the Narrabri community, who have no experience with Santos operations or the project. Their objections highlighted general opposition to coal seam gas and fossil fuels, including concerns about climate change and the need to transition to renewable energy”.

He further notes that only 500 submissions have been received from local Narrabri residents, with the majority of these supporting the project.

With Santos expected to prepare a report for these submissions, Gallagher has lamented the time and resources that this will require, along with the cost to review and respond to the 23 000 submissions.

However, he notes that despite the challenges, Santos is still committed to the project.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Santos — Narrabri, tel +61 2 6792 9035.