Arrow LNG Plant
Arrow is planning the development of an LNG facility on Curtis Island off Gladstone which will play an important role in meeting growing world demand for cleaner burning fuels. The project was formerly known as the Shell Australia LNG Project and is now called the Arrow LNG Plant Project.
The proposed Arrow LNG Plant Project on Curtis Island will be supplied with coal seam gas from Arrow Energy reserves located in the Surat Basin in South East Queensland and the Bowen Basin in Central Queensland.
The Arrow LNG Plant Project has been declared a ‘significant project’ by the Queensland Government; this reflects the complexity of Queensland and Commonwealth approvals required, the project’s potential impacts, and the importance of the Gladstone region to national, state and local economies.
The project involves:
- construction of a gas pipeline from near the Bruce Highway to Curtis Island
- construction of a liquefaction facility where coal seam gas will be converted to LNG and stored for shipment in LNG carriers to growing LNG markets
- construction of marine facilities such as jetties on the mainland
- construction of jetties, offloading facilities and LNG Carrier Terminal on Curtis Island in the vicinity of North China Bay, Hamilton Point and behind Boatshed Point
- potential localised dredging at marine facilities.
The project is also supported by a dredging program off Port Curtis being managed by the Gladstone Ports Corporation to extend shipping lanes to berth pockets and develop swings basins for LNG carriers to load and manoeuvre. The Western Basin Dredging Project by the Port is subject to a separate EIS approval.
The liquefaction facility will produce up to 18 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG, and includes the phased construction of up to four trains or processing plants on its Curtis Island site. Stage 1 includes the construction of two trains of around 4mtpa of LNG each on the Arrow site behind Boatshed Point.
In December 2009, Shell signed an agreement with the Gladstone Ports Corporation to acquire land on the south western end of Curtis Island. This land is within the 1,500ha Gladstone State Development Area (GSDA) – Curtis Island Precinct, set aside for LNG development.
Before the project can proceed, Arrow must gain approval from the Queensland and Commonwealth Governments. Prior to government approval, regulatory authorities must be satisfied the activities have been properly assessed and that appropriate measures are in place to avoid or minimise environmental impacts. To do this, Arrow will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which will examine the entire development.
An EIS is a comprehensive study of all environmental, economic and social issues and potential impacts associated with development of major projects. The EIS for the Arrow LNG Plant Project will set environmental controls to govern all aspects of the project’s construction and operation. The EIS is required to consider all potential impacts from the project including impacts on land use, geology and soils, terrestrial, aquatic and marine ecosystems, marine hydrology, surface water and ground water, air quality and greenhouse gas emissions, noise and vibration, landscape and visual amenity, marine and road traffic, roads and infrastructure; cultural heritage and socio-economics will also be extensively studied.
Public input is an important part of an EIS and Arrow is committed to consulting with Curtis Island and Gladstone communities and stakeholders throughout the process. Activities such as consultation sessions will be advertised in local media. For more information about the EIS process, please read the Information Sheet Arrow LNG Plant Project: Environmental Impact Statement.
For further information about the Arrow LNG Plant Project:
Telephone: freecall 1800 038 856
Email: info@arrowenergy.com.au