83-541: The Gorgon gas project is a multi-decade natural gas project in Western Australia , involving the development of the Greater Gorgon gas fields, subsea gas-gathering infrastructure, and a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant on Barrow Island . The project also includes a domestic gas component. Construction was completed in 2017. It is Australia's most expensive ever resources development. 'Greater Gorgon' refers to
166-451: A 'lens' of fresh water above the saline ground water, which they share with cave fish species such as the blind cave eel ( Ophisternon candidum ), and two blind cave gudgeons, Milyeringa veritas and Milyeringa justitia . Troglofauna have also been discovered within the cave systems; these include the schizomid Draculoides bramstokeri and perhaps the only troglobitic reptile— Anilios longissimus . Hydrogen sulphide produced by
249-580: A 20-year term while the agreement with PetroChina is for the supply of approximately 2.25 Mtpa over a 20-year term. Together, these two sales and purchase agreements commit the ExxonMobil subsidiary's share of LNG from the 15 Mtpa Gorgon LNG Project. Under the provisions of the Barrow Island Act (2003), the joint venturers are required to reserve 2000 petajoules of gas for delivery into the domestic market. The Gorgon Joint Venture announced plans to establish
332-452: A 200-room apartment complex for workers on the island. A private airport facility known as Barrow Island Airport ( IATA : BWB , ICAO : YBWX ) was also established to transport workers and equipment from Karratha and Perth . In December 2009, a development consortium comprising the Australian subsidiaries of Chevron , ExxonMobil , and Shell received environmental approvals from
415-557: A 70 km subsea pipeline to the mainland, for transmission to local customers. On the total investment of the Gorgon LNG project, media articles have reported analyst forecasts of estimated costs ranging from A$ 11 billion (in 2003), A$ 16 billion (2007), and A$ 50bn in March 2009 to A$ 43bn in Sept 2009 and A$ 53bn in 2015. Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), which comprises around 15% of the raw gas stream from
498-521: A Western Australian Infrastructure Fund. Although no timescale was officially given, two election cycles later in 2013 the promise had yet to be honoured. PRRT contributions are often delayed depending on tax deductions that companies are eligible for, and the then-labour Julia Gillard government proposed that it would be revisited once revenue began flowing from the project. However, senior lecturer of Monash University and expert on taxation law and natural resource policy Diane Kraal estimated in 2017 that under
581-476: A density 0.5539 times that of air (0.678 kg per standard cubic meter). In the early 1800s, natural gas became known as "natural" to distinguish it from the dominant gas fuel at the time, coal gas . Unlike coal gas, which is manufactured by heating coal, natural gas can be extracted from the ground in its native gaseous form. When the use of natural gas overtook the use of coal gas in English speaking countries in
664-421: A domestic gas project, including plans for progressive expansion to enable delivery of 300 terajoules of gas per day into the domestic transmission system. Chevron have indicated that deliveries of Gorgon domestic gas will commence around the time of start-up of the third LNG train. The proposed project attracted criticism from conservation groups due to the potential impact upon Barrow Island's ecology. The island
747-511: A grouping of several gas fields, including Gorgon, Chandon, Geryon, Orthrus, Maenad, Eurytion, Urania, Chrysaor, Dionysus, Jansz/Io, and West Tryal Rocks, situated in the Barrow sub-basin of the Carnarvon Basin . The Gorgon field is centered about 130 kilometres (81 mi) off the north-west coast of Western Australia, where the water depth is approximately 200 metres (660 ft). Other fields in
830-416: A known total of 1550 since construction began. Natural gas Natural gas (also called fossil gas, methane gas , or simply gas ) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane (95%) in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes . Traces of carbon dioxide , nitrogen , hydrogen sulfide , and helium are also usually present. Methane
913-510: A lifespan of 60 years . According to Chevron, the Janz-Io field is 9,100 - 10,350 ft beneath the seabed, while the Gorgon gas field is 11,350 - 13,600 ft beneath the seabed. Though this is due to the Gorgon gas field being closer to land than the Janz-Io field where the land curves upwards to form Barrow Island , both fields are approximately 14,615 ft beneath sea level. The project
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#1732855547067996-477: A major source of natural gas in the United States and Canada. Because of increased shale gas production the United States was in 2014 the number one natural gas producer in the world. The production of shale gas in the United States has been described as a "shale gas revolution" and as "one of the landmark events in the 21st century." Following the increased production in the United States, shale gas exploration
1079-538: A synthetic crude that can be further refined into finished products, while MTG can produce synthetic gasoline from natural gas. STG+ can produce drop-in gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and aromatic chemicals directly from natural gas via a single-loop process. In 2011, Royal Dutch Shell's 140,000 barrels (22,000 m ) per day F–T plant went into operation in Qatar . Natural gas can be "associated" (found in oil fields ), or "non-associated" (isolated in natural gas fields ), and
1162-504: Is 25 kilometres (16 mi) long and 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) wide, covering 235 square kilometres (91 sq mi). More than 200 exploration wells had been drilled in the Barrow sub-basin by the end of 2001, including West Tryal Rocks in 1972, and Spar in 1976 - both discovered by West Australian Petroleum (WAPET) which had been a pioneering company in the development of the Western Australian petroleum industry . WAPET
1245-638: Is a 202-square-kilometre (78 sq mi) island 50 kilometres (31 mi) northwest off the Pilbara coast of Western Australia . The island is the second largest in Western Australia after Dirk Hartog Island . The island was visited by Indigenous Australians approximately 4,000 or more years ago. It separated from the mainland approximately 6,800 years ago. Stone artefacts including several weathered flakes and fragments made of igneous and metamorphic rocks and chert were collected from Barrow Island in
1328-508: Is a Class A nature reserve, home to the flatback turtle (classified as a vulnerable species) and numerous other animals not found on the Australian mainland. Other concerns are related to the adequacy of quarantine procedures on Barrow Island to protect against introduced species, and risks associated with geological sequestration of CO 2 . It was reported in November 2011 that native animals on Barrow Island had been accidentally killed daily with
1411-493: Is a flammable gaseous fuel made by the destructive distillation of coal . It contains a variety of calorific gases including hydrogen , carbon monoxide , methane , and other volatile hydrocarbons , together with small quantities of non-calorific gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen , and was used in a similar way to natural gas. This is a historical technology and is not usually economically competitive with other sources of fuel gas today. Most town "gashouses" located in
1494-458: Is a schematic block flow diagram of a typical natural gas processing plant. It shows the various unit processes used to convert raw natural gas into sales gas pipelined to the end user markets. The block flow diagram also shows how processing of the raw natural gas yields byproduct sulfur, byproduct ethane, and natural gas liquids (NGL) propane, butanes and natural gasoline (denoted as pentanes +). As of mid-2020, natural gas production in
1577-399: Is also found in coal beds (as coalbed methane ). It sometimes contains a significant amount of ethane , propane , butane , and pentane —heavier hydrocarbons removed for commercial use prior to the methane being sold as a consumer fuel or chemical plant feedstock. Non-hydrocarbons such as carbon dioxide , nitrogen , helium (rarely), and hydrogen sulfide must also be removed before
1660-409: Is also home to 43 species of terrestrial reptiles including a variety of dragons, legless lizards, geckos, skinks, snakes and monitors. The most recognisable of these is probably the perentie , Australia's biggest lizard and the island's top predator. The island represents important turtle nesting habitat for the green turtle and flatback sea turtle . Some exotic species exist on the island (e.g.
1743-616: Is beginning in countries such as Poland, China, and South Africa. Chinese geologists have identified the Sichuan Basin as a promising target for shale gas drilling, because of the similarity of shales to those that have proven productive in the United States. Production from the Wei-201 well is between 10,000 and 20,000 m per day. In late 2020, China National Petroleum Corporation claimed daily production of 20 million cubic meters of gas from its Changning-Weiyuan demonstration zone. Town gas
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#17328555470671826-556: Is colorless and odorless, and the second largest greenhouse gas contributor to global climate change after carbon dioxide. Because natural gas is odorless, odorizers such as mercaptan (which smells like rotten eggs ) are commonly added to it for safety so that leaks can be readily detected. Natural gas is a fossil fuel that is formed when layers of organic matter (primarily marine microorganisms) decompose under anaerobic conditions and are subjected to intense heat and pressure underground over millions of years. The energy that
1909-537: Is estimated to have 51,000 cubic kilometers (12,000 cu mi) of natural gas and 50 billion barrels (7.9 billion cubic meters) of natural gas condensates . Because natural gas is not a pure product, as the reservoir pressure drops when non-associated gas is extracted from a field under supercritical (pressure/temperature) conditions, the higher molecular weight components may partially condense upon isothermic depressurizing—an effect called retrograde condensation . The liquid thus formed may get trapped as
1992-694: Is heated and compressed deep underground. Methanogenic organisms produce methane from a variety of sources, principally carbon dioxide. During petroleum production, natural gas is sometimes flared rather than being collected and used. Before natural gas can be burned as a fuel or used in manufacturing processes, it almost always has to be processed to remove impurities such as water. The byproducts of this processing include ethane , propane , butanes , pentanes , and higher molecular weight hydrocarbons. Hydrogen sulfide (which may be converted into pure sulfur ), carbon dioxide , water vapor , and sometimes helium and nitrogen must also be removed. Natural gas
2075-403: Is natural gas produced from shale . Because shale's matrix permeability is too low to allow gas to flow in economical quantities, shale gas wells depend on fractures to allow the gas to flow. Early shale gas wells depended on natural fractures through which gas flowed; almost all shale gas wells today require fractures artificially created by hydraulic fracturing . Since 2000, shale gas has become
2158-406: Is often stored underground [references about geological storage needed]inside depleted gas reservoirs from previous gas wells, salt domes , or in tanks as liquefied natural gas. The gas is injected in a time of low demand and extracted when demand picks up. Storage nearby end users helps to meet volatile demands, but such storage may not always be practicable. With 15 countries accounting for 84% of
2241-452: Is preparing to export natural gas. Floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) is an innovative technology designed to enable the development of offshore gas resources that would otherwise remain untapped due to environmental or economic factors which currently make them impractical to develop via a land-based LNG operation. FLNG technology also provides a number of environmental and economic advantages: Many gas and oil companies are considering
2324-545: Is primarily dependent on proximity to markets (pipelines), and regulatory restrictions. Natural gas can be indirectly exported through the absorption in other physical output. The expansion of shale gas production in the US has caused prices to drop relative to other countries. This has caused a boom in energy intensive manufacturing sector exports, whereby the average dollar unit of US manufacturing exports has almost tripled its energy content between 1996 and 2012. A "master gas system"
2407-429: Is primarily used in the northern hemisphere. North America and Europe are major consumers. Often well head gases require removal of various hydrocarbon molecules contained within the gas. Some of these gases include heptane , pentane , propane and other hydrocarbons with molecular weights above methane ( CH 4 ). The natural gas transmission lines extend to the natural gas processing plant or unit which removes
2490-709: Is sometimes informally referred to simply as "gas", especially when it is being compared to other energy sources, such as oil, coal or renewables. However, it is not to be confused with gasoline , which is also shortened in colloquial usage to "gas", especially in North America. Natural gas is measured in standard cubic meters or standard cubic feet . The density compared to air ranges from 0.58 (16.8 g/mole, 0.71 kg per standard cubic meter) to as high as 0.79 (22.9 g/mole, 0.97 kg per scm), but generally less than 0.64 (18.5 g/mole, 0.78 kg per scm). For comparison, pure methane (16.0425 g/mole) has
2573-604: Is traded on a "dry gas" basis and is required to be commercially free from objectionable odours, materials, and dust or other solid or liquid matter, waxes, gums and gum forming constituents, which might damage or adversely affect operation of equipment downstream of the custody transfer point. LNG carrier ships transport liquefied natural gas (LNG) across oceans, while tank trucks can carry LNG or compressed natural gas (CNG) over shorter distances. Sea transport using CNG carrier ships that are now under development may be competitive with LNG transport in specific conditions. Gas
Gorgon gas project - Misplaced Pages Continue
2656-409: Is transported at high pressure, typically above 200 bars (20,000 kPa; 2,900 psi). Compressors and decompression equipment are less capital intensive and may be economical in smaller unit sizes than liquefaction/regasification plants. Natural gas trucks and carriers may transport natural gas directly to end-users, or to distribution points such as pipelines. In the past, the natural gas which
2739-416: Is turned into liquid at a liquefaction plant, and is returned to gas form at regasification plant at the terminal . Shipborne regasification equipment is also used. LNG is the preferred form for long distance, high volume transportation of natural gas, whereas pipeline is preferred for transport for distances up to 4,000 km (2,500 mi) over land and approximately half that distance offshore. CNG
2822-784: The American cockroach ) but the island fauna is largely intact. Black rats ( Rattus rattus ) were discovered to have established in 1990, but were eradicated by the Department of Parks and Wildlife (then CALM). Current threats include invasive species (including weeds , feral cats , common house gecko , etc.) establishing on the island, clearing for development, fire and disease. Limestone caves on Barrow Island support subterranean ecological communities. These include endemic and vulnerable species. Invertebrate species include Stygofauna , amphipod crustaceans, of Nedsia , Liagoceradocus and other genera. These mostly inhabit an anchialine system,
2905-630: The Government of Western Australia to develop natural gas reserves 60 kilometres (37 mi) north of the island. Known as the Gorgon gas project , it was completed in 2017, offering an estimated 1,100 cubic kilometres (40 trillion cubic feet) of gas, making it one of Australia's largest developments. Barrow Island has a hot desert climate ( Köppen : BWh ) with very hot, humid summers with highly variable rainfall, and warm, dry winters. The World Meteorological Organization established Barrow Island as
2988-427: The supply chain can result in natural gas having a similar carbon footprint to other fossil fuels overall. Natural gas can be found in underground geological formations , often alongside other fossil fuels like coal and oil (petroleum). Most natural gas has been created through either biogenic or thermogenic processes. Thermogenic gas takes a much longer period of time to form and is created when organic matter
3071-485: The "Barrow fault" may sustain this diverse community through chemoautotrophic energy production. Barrow Island has been classified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area . Birds include the Barrow Island black-and-white fairy-wren ( Malurus leucopterus edouardi ), an endemic subspecies of the white-winged fairy-wren which is regarded as vulnerable to extinction. The island also supports over 1% of
3154-417: The 1960s. Thevenard Island also has evidence of Aboriginal visitation, and it is likely that the nearby Montebello Islands were utilized as well; however, there have been no archaeological finds from these islands. Navigators had noted its existence since the early 17th century, and Nicholas Baudin sighted it in 1803, mistakenly believing it to be part of mainland Australia. Phillip Parker King named
3237-548: The 19th century, natural gas was primarily obtained as a by-product of producing oil . The small, light gas carbon chains came out of solution as the extracted fluids underwent pressure reduction from the reservoir to the surface, similar to uncapping a soft drink bottle where the carbon dioxide effervesces . The gas was often viewed as a by-product, a hazard, and a disposal problem in active oil fields. The large volumes produced could not be used until relatively expensive pipeline and storage facilities were constructed to deliver
3320-406: The 20th century, it was increasingly referred to as simply "gas." In order to highlight its role in exacerbating the climate crisis , however, many organizations have criticized the continued use of the word "natural" in referring to the gas. These advocates prefer the term "fossil gas" or "methane gas" as better conveying to the public its climate threat. A 2020 study of Americans' perceptions of
3403-661: The Gorgon Project) in 2009, Kyushu Electric (0.3 Mtpa for 15 years) in 2011, Osaka Gas (1.375Mtpa for 25 years and 1.25 percent equity in the Gorgon Project) in 2012 and GS Caltex of South Korea (0.25 Mtpa for 20 years from Gorgon). Chevron Australia also had a Heads of Agreement with Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS) (1.5Mtpa for 15 years), however it is reported that this was not completed; Shell has entered into long-term LNG sale and purchase agreements with PetroChina International Company Limited and BP Singapore Pte. Limited and also has secured capacity at LNG receiving terminals including
Gorgon gas project - Misplaced Pages Continue
3486-462: The Gorgon field, is stripped out then injected into formations 2 kilometers below the island, with 3.4 to 4 million tonnes of CO 2 planned to be stored each year. Inclusion of the carbon capture project was required by Australian environmental regulators. However, in December 2017 it was announced that technical problems mean that CO 2 would not be stored until late 2018 or early 2019, two years after
3569-432: The US had peaked three times, with current levels exceeding both previous peaks. It reached 24.1 trillion cubic feet per year in 1973, followed by a decline, and reached 24.5 trillion cubic feet in 2001. After a brief drop, withdrawals increased nearly every year since 2006 (owing to the shale gas boom ), with 2017 production at 33.4 trillion cubic feet and 2019 production at 40.7 trillion cubic feet. After
3652-427: The US, over one-third of households (>40 million homes) cook with gas. Natural gas dispensed in a residential setting can generate temperatures in excess of 1,100 °C (2,000 °F) making it a powerful domestic cooking and heating fuel. Stanford scientists estimated that gas stoves emit 0.8–1.3% of the gas they use as unburned methane and that total U.S. stove emissions are 28.1 gigagrams of methane. In much of
3735-515: The United States begins with localized use. In the seventeenth century, French missionaries witnessed the American Indians setting fire to natural gas seeps around lake Erie, and scattered observations of these seeps were made by European-descended settlers throughout the eastern seaboard through the 1700s. In 1821, William Hart dug the first commercial natural gas well in the United States at Fredonia, New York , United States, which led in 1858 to
3818-701: The West Australian government in September 2007 and from the Federal Minister for the Environment in the following month after receiving approval in principle from the Western Australian Government to make restricted use of Barrow Island in September 2003. The project developers then submitted revised plans to cover an expansion in the size of the project. Final environmental approval was received from
3901-697: The bottoms of the gashouse ovens was often used for roofing and other waterproofing purposes, and when mixed with sand and gravel was used for paving streets. Huge quantities of natural gas (primarily methane) exist in the form of clathrates under sediment on offshore continental shelves and on land in arctic regions that experience permafrost , such as those in Siberia . Hydrates require a combination of high pressure and low temperature to form. In 2013, Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) announced that they had recovered commercially relevant quantities of natural gas from methane hydrate. The image below
3984-574: The current fiscal system, the Gorgon Gas project had yet to contribute to the PRRT system, and would not until around 2030. The Gorgon and Jansz-Io gas fields are 200 kilometres (120 mi) from the coast of mainland Australia. In 2006 Chevron, the project leads, were working with an estimated resource base of 40 trillion cubic feet. Later estimates from have placed the volume of natural gas at 35.3 trillion cubic feet (1,000 × 10 ^ m), that may have
4067-654: The decayed organisms originally obtained from the sun via photosynthesis is stored as chemical energy within the molecules of methane and other hydrocarbons. Natural gas can be burned for heating, cooking, and electricity generation . Consisting mainly of methane, natural gas is rarely used as a chemical feedstock . The extraction and consumption of natural gas is a major industry. When burned for heat or electricity , natural gas emits fewer toxic air pollutants, less carbon dioxide, and almost no particulate matter compared to other fossil and biomass fuels. However, gas venting and unintended fugitive emissions throughout
4150-414: The developed world it is supplied through pipes to homes, where it is used for many purposes including ranges and ovens, heating / cooling , outdoor and portable grills , and central heating . Heaters in homes and other buildings may include boilers, furnaces , and water heaters . Both North America and Europe are major consumers of natural gas. Barrow Island (Western Australia) Barrow Island
4233-446: The eastern US in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were simple by-product coke ovens that heated bituminous coal in air-tight chambers. The gas driven off from the coal was collected and distributed through networks of pipes to residences and other buildings where it was used for cooking and lighting. (Gas heating did not come into widespread use until the last half of the 20th century.) The coal tar (or asphalt ) that collected in
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#17328555470674316-446: The economic and environmental benefits of floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG). There are currently projects underway to construct five FLNG facilities. Petronas is close to completion on their FLNG-1 at Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering and are underway on their FLNG-2 project at Samsung Heavy Industries . Shell Prelude is due to start production 2017. The Browse LNG project will commence FEED in 2019. Natural gas
4399-486: The formation of the Fredonia Gas Light Company . Further such ventures followed near wells in other states, until technological innovations allowed the growth of major long distance pipelines from the 1920s onward. By 2009, 66,000 km (16,000 cu mi) (or 8%) had been used out of the total 850,000 km (200,000 cu mi) of estimated remaining recoverable reserves of natural gas. In
4482-461: The fuel found that, across political identifications, the term "methane gas" led to better estimates of its harms and risks. Natural gas can come out of the ground and cause a long-burning fire. In ancient Greece , the gas flames at Mount Chimaera contributed to the legend of the fire-breathing creature Chimera . In ancient China , gas resulting from the drilling for brines was first used by about 400 BC. The Chinese transported gas seeping from
4565-435: The gas needs to be cooled down and compressed, as the friction in the pipeline causes the gas to heat up. Many existing pipelines in the US are close to reaching their capacity, prompting some politicians representing northern states to speak of potential shortages. The large trade cost implies that natural gas markets are globally much less integrated, causing significant price differences across countries. In Western Europe ,
4648-512: The gas pipeline network is already dense. New pipelines are planned or under construction between Western Europe and the Near East or Northern Africa . Whenever gas is bought or sold at custody transfer points, rules and agreements are made regarding the gas quality. These may include the maximum allowable concentration of CO 2 , H 2 S and H 2 O . Usually sales quality gas that has been treated to remove contamination
4731-896: The gas to consumer markets. Until the early part of the 20th century, most natural gas associated with oil was either simply released or burned off at oil fields. Gas venting and production flaring are still practised in modern times, but efforts are ongoing around the world to retire them, and to replace them with other commercially viable and useful alternatives. In addition to transporting gas via pipelines for use in power generation, other end uses for natural gas include export as liquefied natural gas (LNG) or conversion of natural gas into other liquid products via gas to liquids (GTL) technologies. GTL technologies can convert natural gas into liquids products such as gasoline, diesel or jet fuel. A variety of GTL technologies have been developed, including Fischer–Tropsch (F–T), methanol to gasoline (MTG) and syngas to gasoline plus (STG+). F–T produces
4814-518: The ground in crude pipelines of bamboo to where it was used to boil salt water to extract the salt in the Ziliujing District of Sichuan . Natural gas was not widely used before the development of long distance pipelines in the early twentieth century. Before that, most use was near to the source of the well, and the predominant gas for fuel and lighting during the industrial revolution was manufactured coal gas. The history of natural gas in
4897-461: The group lie to the north, such as Jansz-Io, which covers an area of 2,000 square kilometres (770 sq mi), in a water depth of 1,300 metres (4,300 ft). Barrow Island lies off the Pilbara coast, 85 kilometres (53 mi) north-north-east of Onslow and 140 kilometres (90 mi) west of Karratha . The largest of a group of islands which include the Montebello and Lowendal Islands, it
4980-442: The higher-molecular weight hydrocarbons to produce natural gas with energy content between 35–39 megajoules per cubic metre (950–1,050 British thermal units per cubic foot). The processed natural gas may then be used for residential, commercial and industrial uses. Natural gas flowing in the distribution lines is called mid-stream natural gas and is often used to power engines which rotate compressors. These compressors are required in
5063-512: The highest level of conservation protection available for Crown land in Australia. Once a national park or class A nature reserve is made, mining leases and general purpose leases cannot be granted over them without the consent of both Houses of Parliament, and actual mining cannot take place within them without specific permission of the Minister for Environment. This occurred in 2003, when a portion of
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#17328555470675146-593: The island in 1816 after Sir John Barrow , a Secretary of the Admiralty and founder of the Royal Geographical Society . Whalers were known to operate in the area from about 1800 onwards. The first recorded visit by whalers was in 1842 with continued visits occurring until 1864. The island was used as a slave trading centre for Aboriginal Australians during the 1870s by Captain William Cadell until he
5229-486: The island's south-east coast. The plant was intended to consist of 3 liquefied natural gas (LNG) trains, each capable of producing a nominal capacity of 5.2 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). According to the 2009 Environment Impact Statement, LNG and condensate , initially stored in onshore tanks, was to be offloaded from a 2,100 m (1.3 mi) jetty onto LNG carriers and oil tankers, for delivery to overseas customers. Natural gas for domestic use will be transported by
5312-594: The largest proven gas reserves. Sources that consider that Russia has by far the largest proven reserves include the US Central Intelligence Agency (47,600 km ) and Energy Information Administration (47,800 km ), as well as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (48,700 km ). Contrarily, BP credits Russia with only 32,900 km , which would place it in second, slightly behind Iran (33,100 to 33,800 km , depending on
5395-412: The main feature of Barrow Island's geography is the undulating limestone uplands, the island is surrounded by a mixture of sandy beaches and rocky shores, low cliffs, dunes, salt flats, and reefs. Due to its isolation from mainland Australia and protection afforded under its statutory status, Barrow Island is one of the most important conservation reserves in Western Australia. It is an "A-class" reserve,
5478-433: The natural gas can be transported. Natural gas extracted from oil wells is called casinghead gas (whether or not truly produced up the annulus and through a casinghead outlet) or associated gas. The natural gas industry is extracting an increasing quantity of gas from challenging, unconventional resource types : sour gas , tight gas , shale gas , and coalbed methane . There is some disagreement on which country has
5561-543: The plant began operation. This will result in 5.5-7.8 million tonnes of CO 2 being released. Carbon dioxide injection started in August 2019, with full injection rates anticipated by first quarter 2020 (This has not been independently verified as of September 2020). In November 2023, it was reported that over the 2022-2023 period, only about one third of the CO 2 generated by the site had been sequestered, mainly due to issues managing
5644-441: The pores of the gas reservoir get depleted. One method to deal with this problem is to re-inject dried gas free of condensate to maintain the underground pressure and to allow re-evaporation and extraction of condensates. More frequently, the liquid condenses at the surface, and one of the tasks of the gas plant is to collect this condensate. The resulting liquid is called natural gas liquid (NGL) and has commercial value. Shale gas
5727-471: The reserve was excised in order to facilitate the Gorgon gas development program. The island is known for its diversity of mammalian fauna, including several species now extinct or greatly reduced on mainland Australia. Thirteen mammal species exist on the island, including the spectacled hare-wallaby , burrowing bettong , golden bandicoot , black-flanked rock-wallaby , Barrow Island euro and Barrow Island mouse ( Pseudomys nanus ferculinus ). The island
5810-543: The source). It is estimated that there are about 900,000 km of "unconventional" gas such as shale gas, of which 180,000 km may be recoverable. In turn, many studies from MIT , Black & Veatch and the US Department of Energy predict that natural gas will account for a larger portion of electricity generation and heat in the future. The world's largest gas field is the offshore South Pars / North Dome Gas-Condensate field , shared between Iran and Qatar. It
5893-550: The state government on 11 August 2009. On 26 August 2009, the Federal Environment Minister announced that the expanded project on Barrow Island had been given conditional environmental approval. During the 2007 Australian federal election campaign, the Australian Labor Party announced that a future Labor government would set aside 25% of future Petroleum Resource Rent Tax from the Gorgon project to establish
5976-695: The subsurface pressure to avoid damaging the cap layer that traps the CO 2 . Economic modelling carried out in 2008 as part of the environmental impact assessment process, forecast the following macroeconomic impacts (based on a 30-year period): LNG sales agreements were reached between the joint venturers and customers in China , India , Japan and South Korea . Chevron Australia has executed Sale and Purchase Agreements (SPAs) with Nippon Oil Corporation, now JXTG (0.3 Mtpa for 15 years), Tokyo Gas (1.1Mtpa for 25 years and 1 percent equity) and Chubu Electric Power, now JERA (1.44Mtpa for 25 years and 0.417 percent equity in
6059-570: The terminals at Energia Costa Azul LNG in Baja California, Mexico and Hazira in Gujarat, India. An Australian subsidiary of ExxonMobil has signed long-term sales and purchase agreements with Petronet LNG Limited of India and PetroChina International Company Limited for the supply of LNG from the Gorgon Project. The agreement with Petronet LNG is for the supply of approximately 1.5 Mtpa of LNG over
6142-589: The third peak in December 2019, extraction continued to fall from March onward due to decreased demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the US . The 2021 global energy crisis was driven by a global surge in demand as the world quit the economic recession caused by COVID-19, particularly due to strong energy demand in Asia. Because of its low density, it is not easy to store natural gas or to transport it by vehicle. Natural gas pipelines are impractical across oceans, since
6225-412: The transmission line to pressurize and repressurize the mid-stream natural gas as the gas travels. Typically, natural gas powered engines require 35–39 MJ/m (950–1,050 BTU/cu ft) natural gas to operate at the rotational name plate specifications. Several methods are used to remove these higher molecular weighted gases for use by the natural gas engine. A few technologies are as follows: In
6308-406: The world populations of grey-tailed tattler , red-necked stint , pied oystercatcher , and fairy tern , as well as an isolated population of the spinifexbird . The Western Shield project has sought to reduce the impact of introduced species to the region. Corporate and state government cooperation on programs has produced studies into the little-known subterranean fauna of the island. Oil
6391-498: The worldwide extraction, access to natural gas has become an important issue in international politics, and countries vie for control of pipelines. In the first decade of the 21st century, Gazprom , the state-owned energy company in Russia, engaged in disputes with Ukraine and Belarus over the price of natural gas, which have created concerns that gas deliveries to parts of Europe could be cut off for political reasons. The United States
6474-473: Was arrested and removed from the colony in 1876. Slave labour was used in the nearby mainland pearling industry. Guano , seabirds or bats ' excrement that is a highly effective fertilizer , was found on the island and mining began in 1883. It was mined for the remainder of the 1880s and sold to markets in Perth . Barrow Island is noted for its flat spinifex grasslands spotted with termite mounds. While
6557-587: Was developed by the Gorgon Joint Venture, which as of 2009, consisted of Australian subsidiaries of three global energy companies: The scope of the project includes: Using initially 18 wells, according to the Environment Impact Statement of 2009, gas was to be delivered via subsea gathering systems and pipelines to the north-west coast of Barrow Island, then via an underground pipeline system to gas treatment and liquefaction facilities on
6640-458: Was discovered on the island in commercial quantities in 1964 by West Australian Petroleum Pty Ltd ( WAPET ), and the first oil field was established shortly after. In 1995, there were 430 wells producing oil and natural gas across most of the southern half of the island. The site has been Australia 's leading producer of oil. Oil tankers are filled by a submarine pipeline that extends 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) offshore. WAPET established
6723-488: Was invented in Saudi Arabia in the late 1970s, ending any necessity for flaring. Satellite and nearby infra-red camera observations, however, shows that flaring and venting are still happening in some countries. Natural gas is used to generate electricity and heat for desalination . Similarly, some landfills that also discharge methane gases have been set up to capture the methane and generate electricity. Natural gas
6806-567: Was recovered in the course of recovering petroleum could not be profitably sold, and was simply burned at the oil field in a process known as flaring . Flaring is now illegal in many countries. Additionally, higher demand in the last 20–30 years has made production of gas associated with oil economically viable. As a further option, the gas is now sometimes re- injected into the formation for enhanced oil recovery by pressure maintenance as well as miscible or immiscible flooding. Conservation, re-injection, or flaring of natural gas associated with oil
6889-711: Was the operator on behalf of various joint ventures comprising Chevron , Texaco , Shell and Ampolex (the exploration division of Ampol ). Chevron and Texaco merged in 2001, Mobil took over Ampolex, and later merged with Exxon to form ExxonMobil . In 2000, Chevron became the operator of all WAPET's petroleum assets. WAPET discovered Gorgon in 1981 with the drilling of the Gorgon 1 well. Later discoveries included Chrysaor (1994) and Dionysus (1996). The Jansz-Io gas accumulation, discovered in January 2000, contains an estimated 566 billion cubic meters of recoverable reserves. The project received preliminary environmental approvals from
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