Santos’ Narrabri Gas Project is the largest proposed development under the modern planning system. 850+ coal seam gas wells are proposed, the majority to be placed in the Pilliga East State Forest. The forest is the recharge area for the Great Artesian Basin.
See our Myths & Facts document here.
What is being proposed?
- 850+ coal seam gas wells on 425 well pads over 95,000 hectares
- a gas processing facility for compression dehydration and treatment of gas
- a water management facility for storage and treatment of produced water and brine
- possible additional power generation on site
- continual flaring (burning off of gas) at two locations
- an infrastructure corridor through the forest between Leewood and Bibblewindi
- Santos estimates approximately 500,000 tonnes of salt to be disposed of in landfill
- discharge of waste water into Bohena Creek
- irrigation with treated water
- expansion of worker accommodation
What’s at risk?
- Indigenous heritage and cultural sites
- creeks and rivers
- groundwater, including the Great Artesian Basin
- productive agricultural land
- biodiversity
- ecosystem harm
- air quality
- social cohesion
- increased bushfires
- climate change
How will Santos get the gas to market?
- use locally in gas fired power plant and in proposed new industries such as fertiliser, explosives, brickworks and an ammonium nitrate factory
- Western Slopes Pipeline – proposed 460km pipeline from Narrabri to Condobolin, connecting into the Moomba Sydney pipeline. Landowners on the pipeline route refused contractors access to survey their land in 2017
- Queensland Hunter Gas Pipeline, approved as Critical State Significant Infrastructure in NSW, is proposed to run from Wallumbilla in Queensland to Narrabri and through to the Hunter
Emissions
- Methane (CH4) is a potent greenhouse gas
- Over 20 years, methane has a global warming potential that is 85 times greater than carbon dioxide
- When coal seams are mined for gas extraction, methane is unavoidably lost to the atmosphere as fugitive emissions
- The Narrabri Gas Project will increase Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to the adverse impacts of climate change.
Community Response
- Traditional Owners, environmentalists, farmers and concerned Australian citizens from all walks of life are united in their campaign to oppose this project.
- Over 22,000 people lodged formal objections to the Narrabri Gas Project’s Environmental Impact Statement, more than for any other project in the NSW planning system.
- Long-term environmental, heritage and agricultural costs will be borne by future generations. The full impact of this project may not show up for many years.