The push to extend the gas transmission system from Dubbo to Tamworth and other nearby towns began almost ten years ago when the Central Ranges Natural Gas and Telecommunications Association was formed by eight councils and two other bodies.

The long awaited projected will see Delco Australia as the major contractor under an Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning (EPCC) agreement.

The December 15 launch was attended by over 100 council, industry and community representatives, and saw a number of speakers highlighting the positive benefits for the region and how the construction process would progress.

Tamworth Mayor James Treloar, who carried out the official launch, spoke of the importance of the pipeline for the Tamworth region, noting that Tamworth was the last major inland town in New South Wales not connected to natural gas.

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Jirra Moore, Manager - Business Development of Delco highlighted the fact that Delco would be drawing on local communities for the project, in a scheme similar to Delco’s employment policy on the Kambalda – Esperance Pipeline that saw over 40 per cent of workers drawn from the local community, in particular Aboriginal communities along the pipeline route.

Rob Campbell, National Marketing Manager of Orrcon’s Pipe & Large Tubular Division, outlined that the manufacture and delivery of pipe and coating for the Central Ranges Natural Gas Project will be a significant exercise in logistics.

The 300 km pipeline will consume almost 8,000 tonnes of high strength, tightly alloyed hot rolled steel coil which will in turn produce approximately 16,000 lengths of pipe.

The production of steel, manufacture of linepipe and application of the external corrosion protection will all be completed by Australian manufacturers in Wollongong, NSW.

Freight logistics to move the pipe between steel mills, pipe mills and coating plants to the right of way between Dubbo and Tamworth, will require in excess of 1,000 truckloads.

“Orrcon Operations is delighted to be involved in a project for Australians by Australians that will deliver the much needed benefits of natural gas to the Central Ranges regional communities of New South Wales,” Mr Campbell said.

National Party Senator Sandy Macdonald, who is based in Tamworth, spoke on infrastructure development and its importance in Australia.

Central Ranges Natural Gas and Telecommunications Chairman Margaret Thomas finished by thanking the speakers and expressing her, and the community’s, delight at seeing the project finally come to fruition.

The planned route for the pipeline runs from Dubbo to Breeza (250 km, 8 in.) and then from Breeza to Tamworth (50 km, 8 in.). A lateral will also be constructed to Gunnedah from Breeza (36 km, 6 in.) to supply a proposed ethanol plant at Gunnedah.

The pipeline will have a MAOP of 10,200 kPa and utilise 5LX52 pipe. The route will also have a number of river crossings.

While the pipeline to Tamworth is under construction, a backbone distribution system will be built in Tamworth, emanating from the receiving station in West Tamworth. Upon commissioning of the pipeline, gas will then be introduced to mains and supplied to the largest of 15 industrial firms that are being encouraged to convert to gas-fired plant.

Following the completion of the Tamworth and Gunnedah sections of the pipeline, other laterals will be progressively constructed utilising the returns from the first two sections. These laterals include Gilgandra; Coonabarabran; Dunedoo, Gulgong, Mudgee; and, Werris Creek and Quirindi.

Construction of pipeline is set to begin the second quarter of the year with construction expected to continue until end of 2005.