Across the Northern Territory, government bodies and industry juggernauts have undertaken projects to improve the state’s infrastructure, with gas and water security, communication, and other utilities.
Darwin Export Gas Pipeline supported by Santos
Santos has been given the green light for the Darwin Export Gas Pipeline which will extend the Barossa Gas Export Pipeline to the Santos-operated Darwin LNG facility (DLNG).
It will also allow for the repurposing of the existing Bayu-Undan to Darwin pipeline to facilitate carbon capture and storage (CCS) options.
Gas from the Barossa field, located 300 km north of Darwin, is intended to replace the current supply from the Bayu-Undan facility located in Timor-Leste. First gas production at DLNG using Barossa gas is targeted for the first half of 2025.
Santos Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Kevin Gallagher said the DLNG life extension, Darwin Pipeline duplication and Bayu-Undan CCS projects would promote sustainable development and jobs growth in the NT and Timor-Leste, while building momentum for a whole of region carbon reduction solution.
According to Gallagher, taking a final investment decision (FID) on the Darwin Pipeline duplication project will allow for the Barossa project to be CCS ready.
Adding the Darwin Pipeline duplication project is estimated to increase Santos’ share of capital expenditure for the Barossa project by approximately US$311 million ($453 million).
The Barossa joint venture has agreed with the DLNG joint venture partners to terminate the toll arrangement for using the original Bayu-Undan to DLNG pipeline, reducing operating expenses for Barossa.
State Government planning major infrastructure corridor
The Northern Territory Government is investigating a potential infrastructure corridor from Tennant Creek to Darwin, which would allow for continued development of key regional areas.
The proposed corridor would provide pipelines for future services including gas, water, communications, and other utilities.
A prefeasibility study has identified a preliminary corridor alignment, which considers engineering, environmental, social and infrastructure considerations, and will be further refined and developed during consultation with stakeholders.
Consultation will seek local landowners’ input about the proposed corridor alignment and to identify the constraints that need to be considered to plan for the project.
NT Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics, Eva Lawler said that the state is in early planning and investigation phase as part of a long-term project to support growth across multiple sectors in the NT economy. This includes natural gas, hydrogen energy and digital infrastructure.
“This proposal has the potential to not only link the regions with key infrastructure but also to provide long-term, sustainable jobs for regional Territorians,” said Lawler.
INPEX signs agreement with NT for net zero targets
The Northern Territory Government has signed a non-binding agreement with Tokyo-based company INPEX to further pursue its commitment to a net zero emissions future.
The memorandum of understanding involves carbon offsets for the company’s offshore liquid natural gas (LNG) project, Ichthys, situated 820 km southwest of Darwin.
This comes shortly after INPEX’s environment plan (EP) was approved by The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA). The EP allows the project to continue running for the next five years.
The Ichthys project is one of a handful in the world that incorporates the full chain of development for LNG: subsea, offshore, pipeline and onshore processing.
INPEX’s existing offset commitments includes a number of marine biology monitoring and conservation programs, including monitoring the conservation status of coastal dolphins in the NT.
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This article is featured in the November edition of The Australian Pipeliner.