Santos NSW

Monthly Activities Update

December 2024

We would like to wish you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a safe, relaxing break. Thank you for your support during the year and best wishes for 2025.

Narrabri Gas

Natural gas is an essential part of NSW’s energy mix and its ongoing production is required to ensure safe, reliable and affordable energy well into the future. Santos has committed 100 per cent of gas from its Narrabri Gas Project to the domestic market. Once completed, the project is expected to supply up to half of the state’s natural gas needs, delivering energy security for the region and putting downward pressure on gas and electricity prices for households, manufacturers and businesses.

Update: Narrabri Gas Project

The Narrabri Gas Project (NGP) involves the development and production of natural gas near Narrabri and around the Pilliga. The initial stages of the project involved the development of appraisal wells which are already delivering gas to the Wilga Park Power Station for electricity.

The Wilga Park Power Station has an electricity generation capacity of 22 megawatts, enough to power 32,000 households across northwest NSW. Production this month has been steady.

If you would like more information about any of these activities, please contact our team via email at Energy.NSW@santos.com or give us a call on (02) 6790 9235. You can also visit the NGP website.

Drilling activities

There are no further drilling activities planned to be undertaken this year.

Pilot wells

Bibblewindi East, Bibblewindi West and Dewhurst South, Tintsfield and Kahlua wells are online.

Leewood

Santos does not need to irrigate at this time and water is stored in the holding ponds at Leewood.

Wilga Park Power Station

Wilga Park Power Station is online

Other activities

Groundwater monitoring activities for Environmental Protection Licence compliance are ongoing.

PEL 1

Kahlua pilot construction works were completed in accordance with the Review of Environmental Factors and the wells are now online. To view the approval, please click here.

Hunter Gas Pipeline and Narrabri Lateral Pipeline Activities

Hunter Gas Pipeline

The Hunter Gas Pipeline (HGP) is a critical piece of infrastructure that, once constructed, will deliver 100 per cent of Narrabri’s natural gas to the east coast domestic market. This will put downward pressure on gas and electricity prices for NSW households, manufacturers, and businesses.

Construction of the first early works site is complete, with works on a second site now underway. Construction is expected to be completed in the coming months.

Survey activities are continuing on both public and private land where access agreements are in place, to finalise the alignment within the approved 200m corridor.

Santos and Jemena have signed an Early Works Agreement to progress a connection from the Hunter Gas Pipeline (HGP) to the New South Wales domestic market via Jemena's gas distribution network, near Hexham. Jemena's gas distribution network currently services over 1.5 million customers across Sydney and regional New South Wales. The pipeline route was chosen to minimise impacts on the environment and landholders. Jemena will progress approvals and land access for this final 6 kilometre section of pipeline near Hexham.

Our land access team continue to liaise with landholders along the route to progress discussions regarding the alignment, and to negotiate survey and deed of option agreements. We encourage landholders to engage with our land access advisors to ensure any feedback, questions or concerns can be addressed as part of the process to finalise the pipeline alignment. Landholders can contact our land access team at any time on 1300 427 546 or via email at info@huntergaspipeline.com.au.

For more information, please visit the HGP website

Narrabri Lateral Pipeline

To connect the NGP to the HGP, Santos is progressing plans for the underground Narrabri Lateral Pipeline (NLP). The proposed pipeline will provide the ‘missing link’ between the NGP and HGP, to allow for the transmission of natural gas to the existing NSW natural gas transmission network near Newcastle.

As part of the project, Santos is currently working to prepare the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

Santos recently referred the NLP project to the Australian Government’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) in accordance with the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). Earlier this month, the Australian Government uploaded the referral to its online portal for public comment. The submission period has since closed, and the government will now decide whether the project needs assessment and approval under the EPBC Act. Please monitor the DCCEEW website for further updates (https://epbcpublicportal.environment.gov.au/all-referral

Community Consultation

This month Santos met with stakeholders from across the community representing diverse sectors including education, housing, agriculture, health and business. These sessions were undertaken to gain valuable insights from community representatives to help inform the NLP Social Impact Assessment and the NGP Social Impact Management Plan. If you are interested in providing any feedback regarding the social impacts or benefits of these projects, please don't hesitate to contact us directly.

Santos continues to hold community information sessions across NSW, with another drop-in session held in Singleton earlier this month. The session provided an opportunity for members of the community to come and speak to us about any questions or concerns that they might have.

Landholders, stakeholders and interested community members are reminded that you do not have to wait for a planned community information or engagement session to speak with us. Our project team is available by phone or email to discuss our work in your area so please reach out, and we can meet at a time that is convenient to you.

We also attended the Muswellbrook Chamber of Commerce Christmas Breakfast to celebrate another successful year for the group.

Community Consultative Committee and Advisory Groups

A condition of the Independent Planning Commission (IPC) consent for the NGP is the establishment and operation of Community Consultative Committee (CCC) and Advisory Groups in accordance with the NSW Department of Planning and Environment's (DPE) Community Consultative Committee Guidelines: State Significant Projects.

DPE appointed Mr. Garry West to the position of Independent Chair of the CCC and Advisory Groups.  

The purpose of a CCC is to provide a forum for discussion between a proponent and representatives of the community, stakeholder groups and local councils on issues directly relating to a specific state significant project.

The last meeting of the Narrabri Gas Project Community Consultative Committee was held on Tuesday 17th December, 2024. 

NGP CCC Minutes are available here

The Advisory Groups include:  

Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Advisory Group 
Biodiversity Advisory Group 
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Advisory Group 
Water Technical Advisory Group

Minutes from advisory group meetings are available here.

Community Partnerships

Healthy Harold program to help more kids thanks to Santos

Image: The Healthy Harold Life Education program reaches out to children in the Liverpool Plains region

With our support, Life Ed’s iconic yellow giraffe, Healthy Harold, has been able to visit more schools and childcare centres in the Liverpool Plains region.

The Life Ed program helps children learn how to make positive decisions about their health and wellbeing, including nutrition, physical activity, respectful relationships and drugs and alcohol at an age-appropriate level. Our sponsorship has assisted Life Ed reach more than 700 children in 14 schools and childcare centres across the Liverpool Plains.

Through our partnership with Life Ed, we ensure as many kids as possible get to experience the critical lessons that a visit from Healthy Harold provides. Making the program available to young people wherever they live is really important. For many children, it’s an exciting and memorable part of their learning journey, helping them to establish good health and wellbeing habits.

Santos funds bursaries through Country Universities Centre North West

Image: Santos’ support of CUC Northwest student bursaries is a win for local students

Santos is partnering with the Country Universities Centre (CUC) North West to fund ten student bursaries in 2025. Our support will assist rural students by helping to provide access to the tools they need to develop their academic potential.

The Narrabri Shire Student Bursaries, valued at $1,500 each, can be used to pay for some of the equipment students need to assist their learning, including new laptops or noise cancelling headphones. To be eligible to apply, students must be a Narrabri Shire resident registered with CUC North West and meet other meet key criteria. Applications are now open. To find out more, go to Narrabri Shire Student Bursary or simply scan the QR code above.

Narrabri Jockey Club Spring Soirée - 150 years in the saddle

Image: Narrabri Jockey Club members and guests enjoying the Spring Soirée luncheon

The Narrabri Jockey Club marked a historic milestone recently, celebrating 150 years at their newly refurbished grounds.

Santos was proud to support the celebrations, joining more than one hundred people at a special Spring Soiree luncheon. We all enjoyed a unique outdoor dining experience and heard from guest speakers who shared insights about the club’s 150-year history and its rich legacy.

For more than a decade, Santos has been a major sponsor of the Narrabri Jockey Club and a key contributor to the many successful events that bring the community together.

It's a Wrap! - Santos supports local Christmas appeals

Image: NDCAS Community Christmas Appeal brightens the season for many families thanks to Santos

We were delighted to support this year’s Blackroo Community Indigenous Corporation Christmas Food and Toy Appeal in Muswellbrook and the Narrabri and District Community Aid Service’s (NDCAS) Community Christmas Appeal.

These community-wide initiatives are designed to deliver a little bit of joy at a time of year when many families are doing it tough.

Members of our team happily volunteered with present sorting and wrapping and enjoyed the special connection to community.

Santos is involved in a number of local Christmas initiatives this year, including Gunnedah Meals on Wheels and the Neighbourhood Centre’s Christmas lunch in Singleton.