Rick Wilkinson
OGJ Correspondent
MELBOURNE, Jan. 30 -- The Queensland government has announced plans to build a $1 billion (Aust.) gas pipeline from Townsville on the northeast coast to Ballera in the southwest corner of the state as an extension of the proposed PNG (Papua New Guinea-to-Australia) pipeline project (see map, OGJ, Sept. 11, 2000, p. 76).
The 1,200 km link is being proposed by the joint venture of Australian Gas Light Co. and Petronas, which are building and will own the PNG-Townsville section. The system will bring Papua New Guinea gas to markets in south eastern Australia, as Ballera is linked to Moomba, and Moomba has lines to Sydney and Adelaide.
Ballera also has pipelines extending north to the Gulf of Carpentaria and east to Brisbane.
An environmental impact assessment is being prepared for the Townsville-Ballera line. AGL-Petronas is endeavouring to get all development approvals before yearend so construction can begin by mid-2007.