World News – UA – ‘Prohibit freedom of commission’: verdict nears Narrabri coal field

Environmental groups claim that the Independent Planning Commission inappropriately excluded late-breaking news on Santos’ proposed $ 3 billion Narrabri pipeline

As the IPC prepares to announce its decision on the coal field gas field in northern New South Wales at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Lock the Gate Alliance and Environmental Defenders Office have said that the commission had avoided considering new critical information due to an arbitrary deadline imposed by the state government

The CSG de Santos storage ponds in the Pilliga State Forest Approval would pave the way for 850 wellsCredit: Dean Sewell

The information includes evidence that a nearby coal mine will cause a larger drop in groundwater levels and a recent report of gas and groundwater leaks from a large coal bed gas field in Queensland

« This is clear evidence that the NSW government’s attempts to prevent the commission’s freedom and independence are having an effect, » said Georgina Woods, Lock the Gate coordinator

The IPC was loaded by M Stokes to decide within 12 weeks of Planning Department approval Partly due to volume of submissions – ???? up to 24,000, most opposed â ???? and COVID-19 restrictions, the deadline was later extended to September 30

« There was no legal basis for them to set such a difficult deadline, » said Brendan Dobbie, lawyer for EDO « They have a responsibility to consider that the [new] information »

Santos originally purchased the Gunnedah Basin gas fields in 2007 and began the environmental approval process seven years later

Leaks of highly saline groundwater produced by the test wells caused localized pollution, killing parts of the Pilliga state forest

Tony Pickard, a local farmer in the area near the Santos coal field gas field, near Narrabri, northern NSWCredit: Jacky Ghossein

Long-standing concerns include the gas field located in a major recharge area for the Great Artesian Basin, its greenhouse gas emissions include potent methane, and the unresolved disposal of the brought back salt. surface by the 850 proposed wells

Stuart Khan, a water expert at the University of New South Wales, noted in his submission that at the bottom of the estimates, the gas field will produce 430,000 tonnes of salt over its 25-year life or up to 850,000 in the top of the range

At the end of 2016, Santos relegated Narrabri to a ‘secondary asset’, while its partner EnergyAustralia reduced the value of its 20% stake to zero at the start of the year

Santos chief executive Kevin Gallagher told the IPC in July his company spent $ 1.5 billion on a gas field with the potential to meet half of NSW’s gas needs The state imports 95% of the fuel

During construction, the company will employ up to 1,300 people, with up to 200 ongoing jobs. The royalties will tip $ 1.2 billion into state coffers, Mr. Gallagher Memorandum of Understanding with US Natural Soda may find use for salt, or there are 11 licensed waste sites within 150 miles, he said

Part of the pressure on the CPI is coming from the federal government, which wants the extra gas to help spur economic recovery Gas could also power a new gas-fired power plant the government wants to build in the Hunter Valley for replace the Liddell coal-fired power plant which is due to close in 2023

If the project is approved, several issues will remain unresolved At the top of this list you will find what it will cost Santos to extract the gas and, if so, the downward pressure it will put on the prices

Santos refers to a 2020 report from the Australian operator of the energy market where the cost of production is estimated at $ 6.40 per gigajoule – excluding freight charges

The Australian Institute pointed out that the modeling of this figure is from Santos Previous AEMO estimates put the cost at $ 728- $ 936 per gigajoule

In contrast, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission predicts that gas prices will average $ 5.63 per gigajoule in 2021

While most expect the IPC to approve the project, the conditions it imposes could still challenge the viability of the project Approvals will also be required for a pipeline to bring gas to Sydney or beyond

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Narrabri, Project, Coalbed Methane, Santos Limited, Coal, Natural Environment, Alliance Lock the Gate, Planning