PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The partners in the Barossa joint venture (JV) have taken a final investment decision (FID) to proceed with the Darwin pipeline duplication project, located offshore the Northern Territory.

The decision will extend the Barossa gas export pipeline to the Santos-operated Darwin liquefied natural gas (DLNG) facility and allow for the repurposing of the existing Bayu-Undan to Darwin pipeline to facilitate carbon capture and storage (CCS) options.

Gas from the Barossa field, located 300 km north of Darwin, is intended to replace the current supply from the Bayu-Undan facility located in Timor-Leste.

First gas production at DLNG using Barossa gas is targeted for the first half of 2025.

Santos MD and CEO Kevin Gallagher said the DLNG life extension, Darwin pipeline duplication and Bayu-Undan CCS projects would promote sustainable development and jobs growth in the Northern Territory and Timor-Leste, while building momentum for a whole-of-region carbon reduction solution.

“Taking FID on the Darwin pipeline duplication project will allow for the Barossa project to be CCS ready,” Gallagher said.

“The Bayu-Undan CCS project has the potential to capture and store up to 10-million tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum, equivalent to about 1.5% of Australia’s carbon emissions each year from other projects, customers and other hard-to-abate industries and has the potential to be the largest CCS project in the world.”

Adding the Darwin pipeline duplication project is estimated to increase Santos’ share of capital expenditure for the Barossa project by approximately $311-million.

The Barossa JV has agreed with the DLNG joint venture partners to terminate the toll arrangement for using the original Bayu-Undan to DLNG pipeline, reducing operating expenses for Barossa.

Work is scheduled to commence on the Darwin pipeline duplication project in 2023, subject to Commonwealth and NT regulatory approvals.

An FID on Bayu-Undan CCS is targeted for 2023, and Santos said on Monday it continues to work with the Australian and Timor-Leste governments to establish regulatory frameworks to support future CCS operations.