Santos still plan pipeline 213 Dec 2022 14:18
The third application, with the Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority, remains on foot
but has been suspended until Santos lodges a new EPBC Act application.
Santos committed to spending $458m on the pipeline, which is to link the Barossa field, 265km N.W of
Darwin, with its existing gas liquefaction plant at Wickham Point, in Darwin’s harbour.
A Santos spokesperson said that “both documents have been withdrawn and are to be resubmitted soon as
a single referral under the EPBC Act”. Subject to getting the fresh approvals, the company plans to
start laying pipe next year.
American oil and gas group ConocoPhillips was previously part of the joint venture and ran the project
but sold out to Santos in 2020.
ConocoPhillips had planned to build a spur line from the Barossa field to an existing pipeline to
Darwin from another gas field in the Timor Sea, Bayu-Undan, which is nearly tapped out.
However, when Santos took over the project it decided instead to use an existing pipeline to pump
carbon dioxide into the Bayu-Undan field as part of a carbon capture and storage project.
This means that in order to get gas from Barossa to Darwin, Santos needs to build a new pipeline
alongside the southern portion of the existing one.
The company retains approval for the Barossa project as a whole, which it obtained in 2018, but needs
separate approvals for variations on the overarching plan, such as the pipeline and drilling.
Not sure if that $458m is Australian Dollars, other media, previously mentioned over $300m
which would make that US $315m
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