December 2022

Hunter Gas Pipeline monthly update 

The Hunter Gas Pipeline 

Welcome to the December Hunter Gas Pipeline (HGP) monthly update. The purpose of the regular monthly updates is to keep landholders and interested community members informed of project progress.

Since acquiring the HGP in August, Santos has worked quickly and constructively to progress the project. We would like to thank the community for assisting us with this important project and wish you all a safe and relaxing Christmas and New Year period.  

December project status

Santos has been liaising and meeting with landholders along the route to discuss land access agreements to conduct land survey investigations. Land survey investigations will assist in the design and environmental assessment of the potential pipeline alignment. Land survey investigations are non-invasive and have minimal impact on daily landholder operations.

Ecological survey works have commenced on private lands where we have secured voluntary agreements with landholders. Over 100 site surveys have been completed. We thank the many landholders who have provided agreement for us to conduct these surveys on their property. We will continue to work with landholders to reach voluntary agreements wherever possible along the proposed route. 

These surveys and studies, along with landholder feedback, will help us to finalise the pipeline route in a way that minimises impacts on both landholders and the environment.

Where are we up to?

Santos continues to consult closely with landholders, councils representing the broader communities, and all other stakeholders.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Santos has developed a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document that provides information to questions landholders and the community have asked about the project.

We have provided answers to these questions in a comprehensive FAQ document that can be found on the HGP website here.

Some of the topics included in the FAQ document include:

+ Project facts

+ Field survey

+ Pipeline alignment

+ Biosecurity

FAQs spotlight - Field Surveys

With field studies currently being undertaken, this is a great opportunity to highlight what field surveys involve. The below information is contained in our FAQ on the HGP website.

What is the purpose of the field survey?

+    In order to determine the final alignment of the pipeline, Santos must undertake detailed investigations to address specific landholder feedback, resolve potential constructability issues, and environmental considerations.

+    Santos will undertake a range of survey activities along the length of the preliminary pipeline alignment and immediately adjacent land, with initial works focused on the Narrabri to Hexham section of the pipeline route.

+    The proposed survey activities will be undertaken by specialist consultants operating under Santos’ supervision. Before any survey works commence, Santos will meet with landholders to obtain consent to access the property and discuss details around when this activity will occur.

+    Each landholder will be provided suitable notice and specific details regarding the proposed activities, equipment to be used, areas of the property to be accessed and planned entry points.

Community Engagement

November community information drop-in sessions

In November, Santos hosted eight drop-in community information sessions across local government areas in the Narrabri to Hexham section of the project. We have also engaged with many landholders directly and met with a wide range of community, government and industry stakeholders.

The community information sessions were well attended with landholders and community members providing valuable information that will be considered in finalising the pipeline route.

Future community information drop-in sessions

Further engagement sessions will be held in 2023. From feedback received from landholders and community members, we will be arranging future sessions along the route at different times and locations to previous sessions.

Planning of these sessions will commence soon, with adequate notification to be provided to landholders and the community of future sessions. 

We aim to provide suitable options for affected landholders and interested community members to attend sessions. Our community and land access team is also available for individual briefings if you are unable to attend one of the scheduled sessions.

If you would like to speak to a member of the team or arrange a meeting, please call 1300 427 546.

Interactive map

The HGP approved route contains a 200m corridor. The proposed route and corridor can be viewed on the HGP website Pipeline route - Hunter Gas Pipeline.

Landowners are able to view their property by typing their address in the interactive map.

The blue line represents the 200m corridor, the green line represents the approved route and the orange line represents route change requests that have been submitted over time.

We have been providing updates to landowners identified within the 200m corridor. We will continue to provide updates to landholders in the corridor until the proposed pipeline route is narrowed. 

Narrabri Lateral Pipeline

The Narrabri Lateral Pipeline will connect the approved Narrabri Gas Project (NGP) and Hunter Gas Pipeline (HGP) to transport natural gas to the existing transmission network near Newcastle.

The project will extend for about 50-60 kilometres from the approved NGP gas processing facility at Leewood to the HGP. The final length of the pipeline will be dependent on the selection of the alignment. The pipeline will be primarily located underground, with associated aboveground infrastructure including isolation valves, meters, and regulators.

On 9 December 2022 the NSW Government declared the Narrabri Lateral Pipeline a Critical State Significant Infrastructure project on the basis that it is essential to NSW for economic reasons. Santos will now prepare an Environmental Impact Statement, which will be subject to extensive community consultation and a full environmental assessment.

A factsheet on the project is now available on the HGP website here

Narrabri Lateral Pipeline project timeline

Landholder engagement for the Narrabri Lateral Pipeline project commenced in November 2022. Santos will continue to engage with landholders along the proposed route as the project progresses through the approvals process. 

Hunter Gas Pipeline website

The HGP website contains information about the project including details around insurance, biosecurity as well as an interactive map with details of the proposed route and survey areas. 

A detailed FAQ has also been uploaded to the website. It can be viewed here