We bring the whole team to give you a powerful advantage
Learn More
News

Green light looms for Santos project

By Andrew Allen
SANTOS’S environmental impact statement for its $8 billion liquefied natural gas project is tipped to be given the green light by the Bligh Government as early as next week, putting it in pole position in Queensland’s dash for gas.

Last week there was speculation in the market that the Queensland Government was not happy with the oil and gas giant’s 13,500-page EIS and that sign-off could face significant delays.

However, sources within the Government have told the Herald that the ongoing dialogue between it and the company had been “constructive” and that approval could be given in the first week of June.

The news is a blow to the three other big players – Origin/ConocoPhillips, BG and Shell – which all have rival LNG projects due to come online in 2014.

The Santos/Petronas project, proposed for Curtis Island, off Gladstone, is the only one of the four which has completed an EIS. Earlier this month BG, which plans to build its LNG plant next door to Santos on Curtis Island, became the first of the big players to sign an offtake agreement for its gas. China National Offshore Oil Corporation will take 3.6 million tonnes of the product over a 20-year period in a deal estimated to be worth as much as $US45 million ($58 million).

Santos has said it is “very, very close” to announcing its own customer to take its LNG. It has tapped the market to raise $3 billion to fund its 17.7 per cent share of Exxon Mobil’s $US16.5 billion Papua New Guinean LNG project, which is on track to be approved this year.

– Mathew Murphy

Up to Date

Latest News

  • ‘OFFERS OVER’ EXPLAINED

    In a market where only a few thousand dollars could mean the difference between ‘affordable’ and out of their price range, the advertised price on your property for sale must adhere to the law. In recent years, we’ve noticed more properties hitting the market with a range of pricing strategies … Read more

    Read Full Post

  • WHAT HAPPENS IS A MULTIPLE OFFERS SITUTATION? A BUYER’S GUIDE

    What is a multiple offer situation? A multiple offer situation occurs when two or more buyers submit offers on the same property. In this instance, the real estate agent is required to notify all parties of the multiple offer situation and provide each buyer with the opportunity to present their … Read more

    Read Full Post