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Santos NSW
Monthly Activities Update
October 2024
Welcome to the October issue of our Monthly Activities Update for NSW.
It has been a busy month with the sixth round of community information sessions held at various locations along the Hunter Gas Pipeline and Narrabri Lateral Pipeline routes. We spoke to around 50 community members, landholders and interested stakeholders, who dropped in to discuss our activities in NSW. Over the past two years, we’ve held 48 of these public consultation sessions about our projects. Landholders and interested community members do not have to wait for an engagement session to contact us. Our project team is always available by phone or email to discuss the project or to arrange landholder meetings at a time that is convenient.
Santos in the News
Australia's first large-scale onshore carbon capture and storage (CCS) at our Moomba site has made history following first injection of CO2. The plant is now online and storing CO2 in Cooper Basin depleted reservoirs at full rate. We are pleased to report the technology and reservoir performance is in line with expectations. More information on this game-changing project can be found at 2024 Third Quarter Report | Santos
NSW Community Events
New digital scoreboard at Collins Park
Santos was proud to stand alongside fellow sponsors and supporters this month for the unveiling of the new digital scoreboard at Collins Park, supporting both the Narrabri & District Cricket Association and Narrabri Rugby League Club.
The community and local clubs are excited for the upcoming seasons, now equipped with this fantastic new addition!
Image: Collins Park, Narrabri - Scoreboard upgrade: old (photo courtesy of The Courier, Narrabri) versus new
2024 Narrabri Gas Project Site Tours
More than 150 people have participated in Narrabri Gas Project site tours this year, with visitors traveling from Tamworth, Moree, Gunnedah, Sydney, Manilla, Dubbo, and Narrabri. We’ve welcomed a diverse range of individuals from various sectors, particularly schools and educational academies, eager to learn about our operations. This is a valuable part of our work, providing an excellent opportunity to engage with students and expand their understanding of our work and the potential career pathways available.
Image: Recent NGP tour group visiting Wilga Park Power Station
King of the Ranges Stockman's Challenge and Singleton Show
The last weekend in September saw our team contribute to the success of two significant events in the Hunter.
Santos was delighted to support the iconic Murrurundi King of the Ranges (KOTR) event. Nearly 80 competitors took part in the intense 3-day challenge that showcases the traditional skills of Australian stockmen and women. Cumulative points are gathered over 6 preliminary events; stock handling, packsaddle, bareback, shoeing, whipcrack and cross country, with the finalists competing in the working horse challenge, wild horse catch and stock saddle buckjump, on the final day.
With our support, the KOTR committee was able to purchase new panels, from a local supplier, which made their debut at the inaugural Santos Feature Cut Out event.
This year marked the 150th anniversary of the Northern Agricultural Association’s Singleton Show and Santos was proud to acknowledge this significant milestone while supporting the event. We were privileged to attend the President’s Luncheon along with other sponsors and show society members, admiring the dedication of the many volunteers who work so hard to ensure the Show’s success.
Image: Action from the arena at the King of the Ranges Stockman's Challenge
Narrabri Gas Project Activities
Operations update
All gas produced from our Narrabri field appraisal wells is delivered to the Wilga Park Power Station, where it is converted into electricity. 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. Looking ahead in November, a flushby rig will complete minor well repairs and there will be some upgrades to production equipment on wells.
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.
NSW Community Engagement
Community Information Sessions
Santos held a number of community information sessions throughout October.
On Tuesday, 1 October, we held a Narrabri Community Information Session to update the community and seek feedback on the Narrabri Lateral Pipeline alignment. We held a similar community information session in Baan Baa the following day. These sessions were open to all landholders and members of the community who wanted to provide feedback about the Narrabri Lateral Pipeline alignment.
Two weeks later, our team hit the road to deliver a sixth round of Hunter Gas Pipeline and Narrabri Lateral Pipeline community information sessions, at various locations along the pipeline alignment. These sessions provided an opportunity for members of the community to come and speak to us about any questions or concerns that they might have.
We spoke to around 50 interested stakeholders across ten separate sessions in Maitland, Singleton, Muswellbrook, Wingen, Willow Tree, Quirindi, Gunnedah, and Narrabri, including two pop-up sessions at Maitland and Muswellbrook.
Landholders are reminded that you do not have to wait for a community information or engagement session to speak with us. Our project team is always available by phone or email to discuss our work in your area so please reach out and we can meet with you at a time that is convenient to you.
Narrabri Gas Project Community Consultation
Community Consultative Committee
A condition of the IPC consent for the Narrabri Gas Project is the establishment and operation of a Community Consultative Committee 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 committee.
The purpose of a Community Consultative Committee is to provide a forum for discussion between a proponent and representatives of the community, stakeholder groups and the local council on issues directly relating to a specific State significant project.
The next meeting of the Narrabri Gas Project Community Consultative Committee will be held on Tuesday 17th December, 2024.
NGP Community Consultative Committee Minutes are available here
NGP Advisory Groups
A condition of the IPC consent for the Narrabri Gas Project is the establishment and operation of a number of advisory groups. The former NSW Department of Planning and Environment appointed Mr. Garry West to the position of Independent Chair of these Advisory Groups.
These groups provide a forum for open dialogue between Santos, independent experts, key stakeholder groups and the local community. The advisory groups include:
- Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Advisory Group
- Biodiversity Advisory Group
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions Advisory Group
- Water Technical Advisory Group
Advisory group meetings were held on Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday 23rd October, 2024.
Minutes from advisory group meetings are available 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 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 now complete and works on a second site commenced earlier this month. Construction of this site is expected to be completed in the coming months.
Survey activities continue to be undertaken on both public and private lands where access agreements are in place, to finalise the alignment within the approved 200m corridor.
Our land access team is liaising with landholders along the route to progress discussions regarding the alignment, survey, and deed of easement 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.
Image: Commencement of civil works at the second Hunter Gas Pipeline early works site near Quirindi
Narrabri Lateral Pipeline
To connect the Narrabri Gas Project (NGP) to the Hunter Gas Pipeline (HGP), Santos is progressing plans for the 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.
Santos is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), with field studies to inform the environmental assessments now mostly complete.
More information about the NLP including factsheets can be viewed on the HGP website here. The NLP SEARs can be viewed on the NSW Planning portal website here.
Have your say
Santos is finalising the exact location of the Hunter Gas Pipeline, taking into consideration landholder feedback and preferences, technical constraints and environmental factors.
We encourage all landholders located along the pipeline alignment to talk to our Land Access Advisors. We will consider all feedback to ensure, where possible, we deliver the best outcome for each landholder and their property. Take this opportunity to have your say – your feedback is important to us.
To get more information about the project or to check the pipeline alignment, you can visit www.huntergaspipeline.com.au or call 1300 427 546.
NSW Project Approvals
Narrabri Gas Project approvals, fact sheets and Community Consultative Committee and advisory group meeting minutes are available on our website.
Hunter Gas Pipeline approvals, fact sheets, project details, and interactive map are available on our website.
Narrabri Lateral Pipeline fact sheets and project details can be found on our Narrabri Lateral Pipeline page on the HGP website.
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