- Jemena to apply for a pipeline permit to develop a proposed 400-kilometre pipeline lateral connecting the Beetaloo Basin to the Northern Gas Pipeline.
- The project will create a practical pathway for future Northern Territory gas supply to reach customers across Australia’s east coast.
- Jemena will sponsor 20 Indigenous delegates at this year's NT Resources Week and continue its partnership with Saltbush Social Enterprises through the Foundation to Future program.
Jemena has taken the next step in developing infrastructure that could help deliver future gas supplies from the Northern Territory to customers across Australia's east coast, with the company set to apply for a pipeline permit to support a proposed connection between the Beetaloo Basin and the Northern Gas Pipeline.
The permit would enable Jemena to progress planning for a proposed 400-kilometre pipeline which would create a direct pathway for gas from the Beetaloo Basin, one of Australia's most significant emerging gas resources, to reach domestic markets using existing infrastructure.
Announcing the plan at NT Resources Week in Darwin, Jemena Managing Director David Gillespie said the company’s Northern Territory Gas Strategy is designed to expand infrastructure in line with market demand and production growth.
"Australia will continue to need reliable gas supply for power generation, businesses and industry, and manufacturers. Infrastructure has a vital role to play in connecting new sources of supply with customers," Mr Gillespie said.
"The Beetaloo Basin has the potential to become an important new source of gas for Australia, and our Northern Territory Gas Strategy is designed to ensure transportation infrastructure can grow alongside production."
"By building on the existing Northern Gas Pipeline, which already connects the Northern Territory with gas infrastructure on the east coast, we're creating a scalable and cost-effective pathway that can support future gas supply, strengthen market connectivity, and help bring new Northern Territory gas to Australian customers."
Commissioned in 2018, the Northern Gas Pipeline remains the only direct link between Territory gas fields and gas customers across Australia’s east coast. The pipeline can currently transport around 90 terajoules of gas per day, with capacity able to increase to approximately 130 terajoules per day through additional compression.
Mr Gillespie said the Northern Gas Pipeline and existing Territory infrastructure would also provide an important foundation for meeting future domestic gas supply requirements, including any obligations arising from the proposed Domestic Gas Reservation Scheme.
"While the details of the scheme continue to be worked through, the Northern Gas Pipeline already provides an established route for Territory gas to reach domestic customers and support Australia's energy needs," he said.
Once granted, the pipeline permit will allow Jemena to continue technical studies, environmental investigations and stakeholder engagement activities to support the project's development.
Building on a decade of partnerships in the Northern Territory
For more than a decade, Jemena has invested in the people and communities of the Northern Territory, supporting employment, training opportunities, and Indigenous engagement through long-term partnerships that create lasting economic and social benefits.
“We’re very proud of the relationships we established during the construction of the $800 million Northern Gas Pipeline and are thrilled that these are continuing today through our sponsorship of NT Resources Week and ongoing partnership with Saltbush Social Enterprises,” Mr Gillespie said.
As the Indigenous Delegate sponsor of NT Resources Week, Jemena is supporting 20 Indigenous Australians to attend this year’s conference. The company also announced ongoing funding of Saltbush Social Enterprise’s Foundation to Future program, which delivers workforce readiness, mentoring, and employment pathways for Indigenous Territorians.
The construction of the Northern Gas Pipeline created over 900 jobs, 75 per cent of which were awarded to people living in the communities surrounding the pipeline route. The project also generated more than $50 million in spending with Northern Territory small businesses.
To view the full media release, click here.
Source: Jemena
