PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Oil and gas major Santos has reaffirmed its commitment to developing the Narrabri gas project, in New South Wales, with MD and CEO Kevin Gallagher saying the project could deliver a substantial share of the state’s gas needs.
Speaking at the American Chamber of Commerce, in Sydney, on Thursday, Gallagher said Santos had spent nearly ten years, and over $1-billion trying to develop the Narrabri project.
However, he noted that following the company’s recent lodgment of the State Significant Development Application, including the environmental-impact statement, the Department of Planning had received more than 23 000 submissions that needed to be reviewed and responded to.
“Santos welcomes the opportunity for the community to have their say on the Narrabri gas project and we recognise the important role this part of the assessment process will play in ensuring a robust and thorough assessment,” Gallagher said.
“However, 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.”
Gallagher noted that only 500 submissions were received from local Narrabri residents, with the majority of these supporting the project.
With Santos expected to prepare a report to these submissions, Gallagher lamented the time and resources that this would require, along with the cost to review and respond to the 23 000 submissions.
However, he noted that despite the challenges, Santos was still committed to the project.