The Barossa Development Drilling and Completions Environment Plan (EP) was accepted by the regulator, the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) on Friday 15 December 2023.

Following the setting aside of NOPSEMA’s March 2022 approval of the EP in September 2022, Santos has conducted further extensive consultation with Tiwi Island people and other relevant persons consistent with the applicable regulations, NOPSEMA’s guidelines, and guidance provided by the decision of the Full Federal Court in the Tipakalippa proceedings.

Santos is proceeding with applications for all remaining approvals for the Barossa Gas Project.

Barossa Gas Project

The Santos-operated Barossa Gas Project is an offshore gas and condensate project that proposes to provide a new source of gas to the existing Darwin liquified natural gas (DLNG) facility in the Northern Territory.

Natural gas would be extracted from the Barossa field, located in Commonwealth waters approximately 285 kilometres offshore north-north west from Darwin, and transported via gas pipeline (Gas Export Pipeline (GEP) and Darwin Pipeline Duplication (DPD)) to the existing DLNG facility, with first gas targeted for 2025.

Project infrastructure would comprise a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facility, a subsea production system, supporting in-field subsea infrastructure, the GEP and the DPD.

Up to eight subsea wells are planned to be drilled in the Barossa field (six wells from three drill centres, with contingency plans for an additional two wells. Gas and condensate would be gathered from the wells through the subsea production system and then brought to the FPSO facility via a network of subsea infrastructure.

Initial processing would occur at the FPSO facility, to separate the natural gas, water and condensate extracted from the Barossa field. The dry natural gas would be transported through the gas pipeline for onshore processing at the DLNG facility. Condensate would be transferred from the FPSO to specialised tankers for export.

KeyFacts Energy: Santos Australia country profile