Hunter Gas Pipeline and Jemena have reached a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Jemena to build and operate a $500 million pipeline from Narrabri to Newcastle.

 

The pipeline has a NSW Development Approval and is ready to build. It will be privately financed and is conditional on the development of the Santos Narrabri Gas Project, commercial offtake agreements with customers, landholder agreements and minor permits and approvals.

 

Jemena General Manager of Business Development, David Green, said, “Jemena has a strong track record in pipeline development, construction and operation in Australia, and we are very excited about the potential of this project.

The project will be a boost for construction, operations and maintenance jobs and businesses in the local area.”

 

Hunter Gas Pipeline Managing Director, Garbis Simonian, said, “NSW gas users are now being asked to pay more for Australian natural gas than customers in Japan, China, Malaysia, and Korea. Queensland LNG projects are hoovering up gas to preserve their own capital and shifting the commercial risk of their investments to Australian gas customers. They created this problem and they are not expanding gas production for the domestic market fast enough. That is just not acceptable.”

 

The Narrabri Gas Project could supply up to 50% of NSW natural gas needs and must be approved, developed and brought to Newcastle so gas is guaranteed for the NSW domestic market, as a matter of urgency.

 

The NSW Government estimates the top 500 industrial gas users provide more than 300,000 jobs which rely on an affordable, secure supply of natural gas.

Mr Simonian warned, “Those 300,000 NSW jobs in gas-reliant manufacturing are at risk without fast-tracked development of affordable domestic gas.”