Australia: Arrow Submits Draft Environmental Impact Statements for LNG Project

Arrow Energy’s multibillion dollar coal seam gas (CSG) – liquefied natural gas (LNG) project has taken a major step forward following last Friday’s lodging of three draft Environmental Impact Statements with the Queensland Government.

These draft Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) assess the potential environmental, social and economic impacts and benefits of three key components within the Arrow LNG project:

– LNG Plant – planned for Curtis Island off Gladstone in central Queensland

– Surat Gas Project – upstream development near Dalby, in southern Queensland’s Surat Basin

– Arrow Bowen Pipeline – to transport CSG from Arrow’s gas fields in central Queensland’s Bowen Basin to Curtis Island

According to Arrow Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Faulkner, these draft EIS submissions represent a significant milestone for the Arrow LNG project.

“They follow successful awarding in recent months of the front-end engineering design (FEED) contract for our LNG Plant together with contracts for Power Supply and Upstream Concept Select in both the Bowen and Surat Basins,” he said.

To prepare the draft Environmental Impact Statements, Arrow engaged specialist environmental consultants. Each EIS was finalised in accordance with the requirements of the final terms of reference for each project issued by the Queensland Government and were supported by a range of scientific and specialist impact studies.

Once the Queensland Government determines that the draft Environmental Impact Statements meet the final terms of reference, they will be released for review by the community. Arrow will hold several rounds of community information sessions early next year to outline the reports’ findings and the organisation’s strategies for maximising project benefits and mitigating impacts.

During the review period submissions may be made, in writing, on the Environmental Impact Statements to the Queensland Government.

Mr Faulkner said an EIS for the Arrow Surat Pipeline had already been approved. “The EIS for a pipeline to transport CSG 600 kilometres from our gas fields near Dalby in the Surat Basin to our LNG Plant on Curtis Island was approved in 2009 and in 2010 the Queensland Government granted us a licence and environmental authority for this pipeline,” he said.

In addition, since 2004, Arrow has operated a major domestic gas business. The company currently provides up to 20 per cent of Queensland’s annual gas needs from around 1000 CSG wells in the Bowen and Surat Basins. Most of this CSG is used to generate electricity, providing enough power for up to 400,000 households each year.

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LNG World News Staff, December 19, 2011