Santos NSW

Monthly Activities Update

November 2024

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 electricity 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 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.

Throughout December, we’ll be installing small air lines in water monitoring bores at Bohena South 1, Bibblewindi 6 and Dewhurst 9 to help us monitor water levels. This work will be done using a small rigid crane truck.

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 now 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.

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.

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, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) in accordance with the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The Minister for Environment and Water will advertise the referral for public comment before deciding if the project needs assessment and approval under the EPBC Act. Please monitor the DCCEEW website for when the public comment period commences (https://epbcpublicportal.environment.gov.au/all-referrals/).

Community Consultation

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

Landholders, other 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 always 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.

This month, we attended the 2024 Business Singleton Infrastructure and Industry luncheon, which focused on infrastructure projects in the Singleton area. Santos was grateful for the opportunity to provide an update about the Hunter Gas Pipeline and other operations in NSW.

Community Consultative Committee and Advisory Groups

A condition of the Independent Planning Commission (IPC) consent for the Narrabri Gas Project 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 next meeting of the Narrabri Gas Project Community Consultative Committee will be 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

Proudly supporting Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service for more than a decade

We met with the NSW Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service (WRHS) team recently to hear first-hand about some of the lifesaving work they are doing across our region. It was also a great opportunity to reflect on our decade-long support for the program and some of the positive impacts it’s had in our community.

Over the past few months alone, WRHS has responded to more than a hundred calls for assistance in our region. The Tamworth base is involved in all sorts of life saving care including first response to industrial, farming or driving accidents across our operational area as well as interhospital transfers for members of our community.

Our support of the WRHS helps local hospitals to maintain essential services and improve health outcomes in the communities where we live and work, making our continued support even more meaningful.

Image: NSW WRHS and Santos staff touring one of the helicopters at the WRHS base, Tamworth.

Ooranga Little Kids Big Day - Sharing ideas and promoting play

We all know little kids love messy play so there were no surprises at this year’s Little Kids Big Day Out at Lake Keepit State Park.

Hosted by the Ooranga Family Mobile Resource Unit for a third year, the Messy Play Day attracted more than 60 families from across the region. Ooranga staff supervised the kids (and the mess!) giving parents and other members of the family a chance to connect and make the most of our free coffee van and BBQ lunch.

Ooranga, which is based in Gunnedah, supports surrounding communities through their mobile resource unit, which runs playgroups and preschools in communities that don’t have a permanent playgroup or preschool. Ooranga operates seven mobile preschools and thirteen playgroups across Boggabri, Spring Ridge, Pine Ridge, Willow Tree, Mullaley, Baan Baa and Premer.

Image (L-R): Messy Play Day in action. Santos and Ooranga staff enjoying Messy Play Day.

Clontarf Academy - Building stronger communities together

As proud national partners of the Clontarf Foundation, Santos is committed to supporting the incredible work of the Narrabri Clontarf Academy.

In 2024, our Narrabri Santos Community Team has been actively engaged with the Academy, strengthening connections and creating opportunities:

Donating a new BBQ and volunteering at local sports carnivals
Hosting site tours of our Narrabri operations for both the Narrabri and Tamworth Academies
Attending and supporting the Academy at key events, like the Regional Clontarf Employment Forum in Tamworth, the Annual Ross Kelly Cup Dinner in Sydney and the recent Narrabri Academy Awards Night.

Together, we’re supporting local students to finish school and explore pathways to rewarding careers, including opportunities locally, with Santos.

Image: Santos and Narrabri Clontarf Academy staff put the newly donated BBQ to work