Moranbah gas project

The Moranbah Gas Project, one of the largest operational gas projects in Australia, is located in Queensland's Bowen Basin, about 170 kilometres west of Mackay and 400 kilometres south of Townsville. It is jointly owned by Arrow Energy and AGL, both having a 50 percent interest in the project. Moranbah has been producing coal seam methane gas since September 2004 when it made its first gas sale to Enertrade, a former Queensland government owned gas pipeline and gas supply company that was acquired by Arrow Energy and AGL in 2007.

The Moranbah Gas Project Began in 2007
The purchasing of Enertrade from the Queensland Government in 2007 created the largest integrated gas project in Australia that delivered gas directly from a gas field to its customers. Its main asset being the Moranbah to Townsville gas pipeline that effectively started the coal seam methane gas industry in the state. The ability to feed Moranbah methane gas into the pipeline allowed the gas to be delivered to the Transfield Service operated 230 megawat Yabulu power station in Townsville, 400 kilometres to the west of the gas field. The Yabulu power station had been specifically converted to operate on methane gas. The Moranbah gas project also had contracts to supply methane gas to Queensland's copper refineries and nickel industries. The balance is sold to power the Moranbah and Townsville power stations. A 15 year contract to supply gas to Incitec Pivot began in 2010.

Moranbah Gas Project Includes a Gas Processing Facility
The Enertrade acquisition also included the Moranbah Gas Processing Facility with its ongoing operation being undertaken by Arrow Energy. This facility consists of four 2.6 megawatt reciprocating gas engine compressor units, export gas metering and monitoring equipment and a triethylene glycol gas dehydration unit. The gas processing facility processes the gas before it is injected into the North Queensland Gas Pipeline.

Moranbah Gas Project to Help Meet Growing Demand for Clean Energy
The expansion of the Moranbah Gas Project is part of the company's ongoing plan to meet the growing international demand for clean energy with it fitting in with the company's further development of its Bowen Gas Project, which is located adjacent to the Moranbah Gas Project. The supply of gas to the international market is to be carried out through the liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant currently being built on Curtis Island at Gladstone. Over one third of the gas produced in the Bowen Basin by Arrow Energy will pass through the Curtis Island LNG plant.

Moranbah Gas Project to Connect to Curtis Island via the Arrow Bowen Pipeline
The Moranbah Gas Project is to be connected to the Gladstone export facility via the Arrow Bowen Pipeline. When it reaches the Curtis Island LNG plant at Gladstone the gas will be cooled to a temperature of minus 161 degrees Celsius. At this temperature the gas becomes liquefied (LNG) and ready for export. The steel pipeline from the gas field will be buried to a depth of at least 750 mm within a 30 metre easement corridor. The pipeline will cover a distance of 600 kilometres starting at Red Hill, 90 kilometres north of Moranbah and finish at Curtis Island. The pipeline has an official life of 40 years but with ongoing management its actual operational life is expected to well exceed this period.
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