Browse LNG Precinct - Public Information Booklet - Department of ...

Public Information Booklet 

Table of Contents 

1. INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................3 

2. BACKGROUND ...........................................................................................3 

2.1. LNG Precinct Site Selection ..................................................................................... 4 

2.2. Native Title and Indigenous Heritage Issues .......................................................... 5 

Native Title Claim......................................................................................................... 5 

Heads of Agreement (HOA) for the Establishment of the LNG Precinct ..................... 5 

Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA)..................................................................... 6 

Heritage Protection Agreement ................................................................................... 7 

2.3. Environmental Assessment & Approval Process .................................................. 7 

2.4. National Heritage Assessment ................................................................................. 7 

3. PLAN FOR THE LNG PRECINCT ...............................................................8 

Onshore Site Options for the Master Plan ................................................................. 10 

Port Options for the Master Plan ............................................................................... 13 

4. FOUNDATION PROPONENT LAYOUT OPTIONS ...................................21 

5. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS...................................................................33 

5.1. Northern Versus Southern Site Locations ............................................................ 33 

Coastal Stabilisation and Retaining Walls ................................................................. 33 

Dredging and Blasting Requirements ........................................................................ 34 

Visual Impact ............................................................................................................. 37 

Cost Difference .......................................................................................................... 40 

5.2. Onshore Issues........................................................................................................ 40 

Site Location and Set Back from Coast ..................................................................... 40 

Traditional Owner and Public Access ........................................................................ 44 

Land Area .................................................................................................................. 46 

Visual Impact ............................................................................................................. 50 

Flares......................................................................................................................... 53 

Accommodation ......................................................................................................... 55 

5.3. Shore Crossing and Coastal Impacts .................................................................... 55 

5.4. Marine Issues ........................................................................................................... 59 

Construction (Dredging and Blasting)........................................................................ 59 

Marine Facilities......................................................................................................... 62 

Vessel Management .................................................................................................. 67 

5.5. Environmental Management................................................................................... 71 

5.6. Noise, Water and Waste Management ................................................................... 71 

Noise.......................................................................................................................... 72 

Drainage and Watercourse Management.................................................................. 72 

Waste Water Management ........................................................................................ 73 

Water Supply ............................................................................................................. 75 

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5.7. General Issues ......................................................................................................... 76 

Construction Materials Requirements........................................................................ 76 

Heritage Protection .................................................................................................... 79 

Pearling Impacts ........................................................................................................ 80 

Wind/Weather Study.................................................................................................. 80 

Pipe Gas to Karratha ................................................................................................. 80 

Broome Port Requirements ....................................................................................... 80 

Size of Gas Fields...................................................................................................... 81 

Chemicals .................................................................................................................. 81 

Carbon Dioxide .......................................................................................................... 81 

Safety, Security and Risk Management..................................................................... 82 

Financial and Company Information .......................................................................... 86 

Personnel and Management...................................................................................... 87 

Management Plans.................................................................................................... 90 

Policies and Indigenous Communities....................................................................... 91 

Miscellaneous ............................................................................................................ 92 

6. DEFINITIONS/COMMONLY USED TERMS ..............................................93 

APPENDIX 1: RELATIVE AREAS ........................................................................97 

APPENDIX 2: EXAMPLE OF INDUSTRY POLICIES (WOODSIDE) ..................100 

APPENDIX 3: REVIEW OF WORLD LNG PLANTS ...........................................101 

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1. Introduction 

This Public Information Booklet has been compiled to provide answers to questions 

asked by various Traditional Owner groups throughout the site selection process as well 

as questions asked by Traditional Owners in relation to James Price Point. It was initially 

prepared for the use of the Traditional Owner Negotiating Committee and the broader 

group of Traditional Owners/family groups to assist people in making decisions about the 

Browse LNG Precinct to be located at James Price Point. 

All information is provided in good faith based on preliminary concepts however, it is likely 

that some aspects will change as the concepts for the proposed Browse LNG Precinct 

and the Woodside development become more certain. A number of answers may differ 

once the technical studies (e.g. geotechnical drilling and metocean studies) have been 

undertaken and the master planning process has been finalised. 

This version of the document includes some minor amendments and updates that have 

been made since the release of earlier versions to the Traditional Owners and has been 

prepared for release to the broader community and public. Additional information and 

various reports and other documentation associated with the Browse LNG Precinct are 

available from www.dsd.wa.gov.au/BrowseLNG. 

2. Background 

The State Government of Western Australia is developing a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) 

Precinct in the Kimberley region to enable processing of natural gas from the offshore 

Browse Basin. 

The Browse Basin, located off the Kimberley coast, has proven reserves of some 34.6 

Trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of gas and 600 million barrels of condensate, making it 

comparable to the reserves associated with the North West Shelf Venture, along with 

probable gas reserves estimated at 60 Tcf. 

The State entered into a Strategic Assessment Agreement under the Environmental 

Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (1999) (Commonwealth) (EPBC Act) with 

the Commonwealth Government to assess the impacts of the Plan for the LNG Precinct. 

The Precinct will accommodate LNG processing and shipping facilities for multiple 

proponents and ensure that impacts are minimised through co-location of LNG facilities 

and associated activities. The Agreement relates to the completion of site selection and 

assessment of impacts on the environment and indigenous factors under the EPBC Act 

and Environmental Protection Act (1986) (WA) (EP Act). 

The Department of State Development has been working with industry, the Kimberley 

Land Council and Traditional Owners to finalise the specific site for the LNG Precinct at 

the State Governmentís preferred location (James Price Point) that satisfies key 

technical, environmental, social and Indigenous heritage criteria. 

In October 2009, the State Government and Woodside Energy Ltd signed a Preliminary 

Development Agreement (PDA), which appointed Woodside as the foundation 

commercial proponent for the LNG Precinct. The agreement has enabled progress on 

necessary comprehensive technical, environmental, heritage and social studies to 

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support the Strategic Assessment process and underpin planning and design of the LNG 

processing and associated facilities. 

The gas fields that are part of the Woodside-operated Browse joint venture hold an 

estimated resource of about 14 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of dry gas and 370 million barrels of 

condensate in three fields located 327 to 385 km north of James Price Point. 

The Browse Joint Venture are currently evaluating LNG development options that involve 

siting an LNG plant at either the proposed Browse LNG Precinct at James Price Point, or 

the existing Woodside-operated LNG processing facilities located near Karratha, more 

than 800 kilometres south of Broome. 

2.1. LNG Precinct Site Selection 

An extensive and thorough site selection process was conducted by the State of Western 

Australia to identify a suitable location for the processing of Browse Basin hydrocarbon 

reserves. The site selection process formed the first part of the Strategic Assessment 

process and initially considered more than 40 different sites in the Kimberley as well as 

alternatives outside the Kimberley such as offshore processing and piping the gas to the 

Pilbara region for processing. 

Eleven sites were subjected to more detailed examination and four were short-listed 

following extensive technical, environmental and social studies. An open and transparent 

community consultation process was adopted throughout the site selection process that 

culminated in a three day workshop involving over 150 stakeholders. The Kimberley 

Land Council were engaged to provide a mechanism to ensure that informed consultation 

with Traditional Owners at the critical stage of site selection was achieved, in accordance 

with the Equator Principles and the Performance Standards of the International Finance 

Corporation. 

Issues taken into account during the site selection process included: 

� The suitability of locations in terms of technical, environmental and Indigenous 

heritage constraints; 

� Proximity to the gas fields and to existing infrastructure; 

� Impacts on existing communities and on community and industry uses; 

� Views of the indigenous people of the Kimberley as represented by the Traditional 

Owner Taskforce consisting of representatives of all Kimberley coastal indigenous 

native title claim groups, established and supported by the Kimberley Land Council; 

and 

� Advice of the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority provided to the 

Minister for Environment under Section 16(e) of the EP Act. 

The James Price Point option was selected by the State Government at the end of the 

site selection process, as documented in the reports of the Northern Development 

Taskforce (http://www.dsd.wa.gov.au/7539.aspx). 

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The attributes of James Price Point identified in the Stateís site selection process 

included: 

� The onshore land areas are particularly favourable with large land areas capable of 

supporting downstream processing and the best elevation of any of the sites for 

protection against surge tides generated by extreme events. 

� The relative close proximity to Broome was seen as an advantage due to the 

availability of existing infrastructure particularly Broome airport, and social 

infrastructure that can support the construction and operational phases. 

� There is no permanent population within 20 kilometres of the proposed site, with the 

nearest communities about 30 kilometres away. 

There are however, significant technical challenges to planning for the development of an 

LNG Precinct at James Price Point. 

� The location is subject to large tidal movements, cyclonic winds and rainfall. 

� The area is covered in Pindan ñ a red clay sand up to 10-20 metres deep, over 

limestone formations with distances from the coastline to deep water between 5.2 

and 9.5 kilometres. 

� Impacts on the local ecology of excavation, dredging and construction need to be 

carefully managed. 

Advice from the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) concluded that the James 

Price Point area was the least environmentally constrained site for a gas processing 

precinct of the two potential sites identified on the Dampier Peninsula and that the 

environmental impacts and risks of locating a precinct in the James Price Point area are 

likely to be manageable. Additional studies and impact assessment under the EP Act 

and EPBC Act will need to be undertaken to determine the specific environmental 

approval conditions required for an LNG Precinct at James Price Point. 

2.2. Native Title and Indigenous Heritage Issues 

Native Title Claim 

James Price Point is currently unallocated Crown land, which is subject to the 

Goolarabooloo Jabirr Jabirr Native Title claim. 

The State Government is negotiating with the Kimberley Land Council, as legal 

representatives of the Traditional Owners, to acquire native title rights and interests and 

to identify an area of land and conditions of development of an LNG Precinct that 

minimise impact on traditional uses and Indigenous heritage assets. 

Heads of Agreement (HOA) for the Establishment of the LNG 

Precinct 

In April 2009, the State Government, the Kimberley Land Council (representing the 

Traditional Owners) and Woodside executed a Heads of Agreement (HOA) to establish 

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an LNG Precinct at James Price Point, subject to the ultimate execution of the formal 

Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA). 

The State Governmentís commitments as part of this broad agreement include: 

� Only taking land that is required for the Precinct, when it is required and not 

extinguishing native title; 

� When the land is no longer needed, returning it fully remediated to the Traditional 

Owners; 

� Providing an area of land equivalent to that required for the processing facility, under 

freehold title, to the Traditional Owners, which could be developed, including by 

taking opportunities to benefit from the Precinct project; 

� Funding for Indigenous management of nature and heritage reserves; 

� Funding support for economic development, better housing and education and 

cultural preservation; 

� Resolving Indigenous land title issues on the Dampier Peninsula north of Broome; 

� Creating new nature and heritage reserves on the Dampier Peninsula; and 

� Funding for a Kimberley Enhancement Scheme that will expand and improve 

existing government services and facilities in the broader community. 

Woodside, as foundation proponent, has also made commitments as part of the 

agreement including support for: 

� Indigenous education; 

� Indigenous employment and contracting opportunities; 

� Indigenous business development; 

� Cultural heritage protection; and 

� Cross-cultural awareness programs. 

The Commonwealth Government is developing a range of complementary benefits. 

Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) 

The State Government, the KLC (representing the Traditional Owners) and Woodside are 

continuing discussions regarding the final format and content of the ILUA or ILUAs. The 

ILUA will provide the formal legal consents required under the Native Title Act 1993 for 

the valid establishment of the Precinct and the valid grant of all titles by the State to 

project proponents. 

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Heritage Protection Agreement 

A Heritage Protection Agreement has been negotiated between the State, Woodside and 

the Kimberley Land Council. The agreement will cover the heritage protection and survey 

requirements for studies to be undertaken in relation to the Browse LNG Precinct as well 

as the layout of the Browse LNG Precinct and the facilities within the Precinct (including 

the marine facilities). 

2.3. Environmental Assessment & Approval Process 

Both State and Commonwealth legislation requires assessment and Ministerial approval 

prior to the implementation of proposals that have the potential for significant impacts on 

the environment, as defined in the EP Act and EPBC Act. The Strategic Assessment of 

the LNG Precinct requires this assessment to be undertaken under Part IV of the EP Act 

and s146(1) of the EPBC Act. 

The State Government is preparing the Plan for the LNG Precinct and the assessment 

report required under the Strategic Assessment. The State has contracted environmental 

consultancy consortium AECOM/Strategen to coordinate completion of a draft Strategic 

Assessment Report. The Plan and Report will take some months to be assessed, with a 

decision by the State and Commonwealth Environment Ministers expected in late 2010. 

Project proponents will then need to comply with the arrangements for implementation of 

activities defined within the Plan, including all relevant approvals and management 

processes. 

2.4. National Heritage Assessment 

The Strategic Assessment Agreement acknowledged the outstanding natural, Indigenous 

and historic heritage values of the Kimberley region. In addition to the Strategic 

Assessment of the Precinct, the State and Commonwealth Governments agreed to 

immediately commence a formal assessment of the National Heritage (and potentially 

international heritage) values in accordance with the requirements set out in the EPBC 

Act. This assessment commenced via the National Heritage Assessment (NHA) process. 

The assessment area for the NHA was accepted by the Australian Heritage Council 

(AHC) and the assessment commenced in June 2008. The NHA will be undertaken by 

the Commonwealth Government in parallel to the Strategic Assessment of the Browse 

LNG Precinct. It is anticipated that the NHA will be completed by mid 2010, with the 

National Heritage Council delivering the findings of the assessment and any 

recommendations for the area to be considered for listing expected to be made to the 

Commonwealth Minister for the Environment. 

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3. Plan for the LNG Precinct 

The Strategic Assessment Agreement requires the State to prepare a Plan for the LNG 

Precinct, which includes details on the operation and management of the Precinct and 

the range of activities that are to be provided for and managed. 

The Western Australian Department of State Development commenced a Master 

Planning exercise as part of the work to establish the Plan and support negotiations and 

assessment activities for the establishment of an LNG Precinct in the James Price Point 

area. In order to establish the user requirements and assist in final site selection and 

layout considerations various options were prepared by WorleyParsons Services Ltd, with 

input from industry and other stakeholders which were presented to Traditional Owners at 

a meeting on 14 August 2009. 

The Department of State Development established the basic requirements of the Master 

Plan to allow for: 

� A total of up to 50 million tonnes per annum of LNG capacity; and 

� Provide for multiple proponents to build and operate LNG facilities in the Precinct. 

Land area requirements 

The basis for the land and sea area considered in the Master Plan has been established 

to meet the Department of State Developmentís basic requirements and allow for multiple 

proponents to operate safely. These areas are the same as those identified in the Heads 

of Agreement between the State, Woodside and the KLC. 

The Precinct will comprise areas of exclusive and non-exclusive access. 

The exclusion zone is proposed to contain: 

� an industrial precinct (fenced) being: 

o two industrial blocks with each block exclusively accommodating stand-alone 

facilities for the relevant proponent allocated to the block (total of approximately 

1,000ha); and 

o common user area (service corridors, lay down areas and internal buffer areas, 

being a total of approximately 500 - 1,000ha); and 

� land (fenced) and waters of the port (area to be determined but likely to be 

approximately 1,000ha). 

The non-exclusion zone (unfenced) is proposed to contain: 

� workersí accommodation (up to 200ha); 

� light industrial area (up to 200ha); 

� access roads; and 

� a buffer zone around the exclusion zone (approximately 3,000ha). 

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A number of other issues were then considered in developing the Master Plan including: 

� Known Indigenous heritage sites; 

� Port location and alignment requirements; 

� Environment issues that need to be considered; 

� Geo-technical or ground strength requirements to build an LNG plant on; 

� Drainage or creek locations; and 

� Topography and elevation of the land; 

Sea or port area requirements 

As outlined in the Heads of Agreement the port area is to be approximately 1,000 

hectares. The port arrangement needs to allow for the following: 

� A single breakwater for the Precinct; 

� A single shipping channel and ship turning basin; 

� Minimise the amount of dredging required; and 

� Common (shared) integrated marine facility for materials offloading and other marine 

support activities. 

Design objectives 

A number of other objectives and requirements were also set for development of the 

Master Plan options. These included: 

� Maintaining land and water access in the direct vicinity of James Price Point; 

� Avoiding or minimising impacts on major creeks (watercourses); 

� Management of impacts on known heritage sites; 

� Minimising the distance to deep water; 

� Orientation of the site to allow correct spacing and alignment of LNG processing 

trains (trains oriented lengthways in an east-west direction) 

� Arranging geometry and location of site to allow cryogenic storage tanks (LNG/LPG 

tanks) to be located as close as possible to the shoreline; 

� Consideration of required buffers and safety distances to prevent public access and 

to ensure appropriate land use adjacent to the LNG Precinct; and 

� Minimising impacts on the shoreline. 

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Onshore Site Options for the Master Plan 

Combining all these requirements resulted in the development on two different options for 

siting the LNG Precinct in the vicinity of James Price Point. The first was based on a 

Precinct with marine facilities crossing north of James Price Point and is shown in Figure 

1. Figure 2 shows the alternative Master Plan option with the marine facilities shore 

crossing located to the south of James Price Point. 

These layouts are intended to provide a basis for considering site selection. The final 

details of the facilities layout and boundaries would be subject to further detailed 

engineering studies, heritage surveys and environmental assessments. The conceptual 

layouts show a possible staging as follows: 

� Stage 1: the foundation proponent builds a 12.5 million tonne per annum capacity 

LNG plant; 

� Stage 2: expansion by the foundation proponent to approximately 25 million tonnes 

per annum LNG capacity; 

� Stage 3: A second proponent builds a 12.5 million tonnes per annum capacity LNG 

plant; 

� Stage 4: A third proponent builds a 12.5 million tonnes per annum capacity LNG 

plant (giving a total Precinct capacity of 50 million tonnes per annum of LNG); 

The number of proponents and the amount of LNG production will depend on how much 

gas is discovered and how attractive it is for those companies to build an LNG plant in the 

Precinct. 

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Figure 1: North James Price Point Master Plan option


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Figure 2: South James Price Point Master Plan option


Based on the two options for the Master Plan a few key preliminary observations can be 

made. 

North James Price Point Master Plan Option 

� The creek line to the north of James Price Point has set the northern site boundary; 

� Access to James Price Point is maintained from the south; 

� Distance to deep water is greater to the north of James Price Point resulting in more 

dredging; 

� The land is higher than the area to the south; 

� Seagrass beds are primarily located to the north of James Price Point; and 

� More blasting and dredging would be required to the north of James Price Point. 

South James Price Point Master Plan Option 

� The creek line to the south of James Price Point has set the southern boundary 

� Access to James Price Point is maintained from the north; 

� Shorter distance to deepwater; 

� The land is lower than to the north assisting in reducing the visual impact of the LNG 

facility; 

� Some impacts to the vine thickets; and 

� Less blasting and dredging would be required to the south of James Price Point. 

Port Options for the Master Plan 

Marine facilities general arrangements have been considered with a number of notional 

layout options prepared to indicate the range of potential outcomes for marine facilities 

implications. The overall port arrangement will be the same for the north and south 

locations; however there are large differences in the dredging volumes and jetty length 

required between the north and south location. These layouts are intended to provide a 

basis for considering site selection. Final details of the facilities layout and boundaries are 

subject to further detailed engineering studies, heritage surveys and environmental 

assessments. 

The port options are based on the same phasing of development as the onshore portion 

of the Precinct. Figure 3 shows the port layout with the area used by the foundation 

proponent (Stage 1) highlighted in blue. Figure 4 shows all 4 stages of the port (each 

stage in a separate colour). 

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Figure 3: Port layout option for the Master Plan (stage 1)


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Figure 4: Port layout option for the Master Plan (stage 4)


The following 3 figures combine the components shown in the previous pages to show 

how the overall Precinct may look. 

Figure 5 shows the Master Plan option with the shore crossing to the north of James 

Price Point combined with a possible Port arrangement. This layout attempts to minimise 

the impact on the identified heritage areas over James Price Point and on the pindan 

scarp (cliff) to the north. The detail of the layout within each of the proponent areas will 

need to be developed individually by each proponent and is likely to vary. 

Figure 6 shows the Master Plan option for a shore crossing south of James Price Point. 

This layout also covers some of the identified heritage sites that cover James Price Point, 

however there is some ability to modify the layout in consultation with the Traditional 

Owners. 

Figure 7 shows the whole Precinct (using the Southern option) including the buffer 

zones, light industrial area and a potential road route into the Precinct. The buffer zones 

are shown as dashed lines on the map. The buffer zones do not restrict the movement of 

people in any way and there will be no fence on the buffer zones. The buffer zones 

simply show the closest any houses (or other sensitive land uses like schools, shops or 

child care centres) can be built. People, cars and boats are all free to go into these buffer 

zones. 

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Figure 5: North Precinct layout option with constraints


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Figure 6: South Precinct layout option with constraints


n 

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Figure 7: Precinct layout (including buffer zones, light industrial area and road access)


Overall, the southern site option is preferred because: 

� Deeper water near the coast reduces the amount of dredging required by a very 

large volume; 

� The currents are expected to be weaker (slower) at that location making it safer to 

manage the ships; 

� Near shore heritage issues north of James Price Point that appear to be related to 

the pindan scarp (cliff); and 

� It provides opportunities to more readily manage impacts on seagrasses and other 

habitats located to the north of James Price Point. 

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4. Foundation Proponent Layout Options 

To assist the Traditional Owners in understanding the differences between a site north of 

James Price Point and south of James Price Point, Woodside as the potential foundation 

LNG development proponent prepared some alternative layouts which were presented at 

the meeting to traditional Owners on 14 August 2009. The basic steps undertaken in 

putting together the layouts were: 

1. Identify the environmental issues on country and in the saltwater to be considered 

(e.g. monsoonal vine thickets, creeks, sea grass areas, etc); 

2. Identify registered Aboriginal heritage sites (as recorded by the Department of 

Indigenous Affairs); 

3. Review water catchments; and 

4. Review water depth and land height along with knowledge of ground conditions 

(geology) to locate the LNG facilities, port and associated infrastructure; 

The following diagrams outline this process for: 

1. Northern James Price Point Site Option; 

2. Southern James Price Point Site Option 1; and 

3. Southern James Price Point Site Option 2 

The southern James Price Point Site Option 1 aligns with the southern option from the 

Stateís master plan work. The other two sites were developed to enable a full range of 

sites to be presented from the north of James Price Point to the south of James Price 

Point. 

The information presented is intended to assist in Traditional Owners in making a 

decision in relation to the approximate location of the Precinct and it is fully recognised 

that further discussions will be required before a final layout is agreed. Further discussion 

is required to assist in reaching a mutual understanding to balance cultural heritage and 

environmental aspects that are important to the Traditional Owners, the wider community 

and the requirements for an LNG Precinct. The more detailed plant layout and design 

issues will form part of the Heritage Protection Agreement between the KLC, the State 

and Woodside. This Agreement will set out the process to move from an approximate 

location for the Precinct through to layouts for the Precinct and the plants/facilities within 

it. 

Figure 8 shows the key onshore environmental issues on country. This was combined 

with information from marine surveys about saltwater country (not shown) that indicated 

there were larger areas of seagrass to north of James Price Point which was consistent 

with dugong surveys that indicated they were also to the north of James Price Point. 

Based on the environmental issues identified, several shore crossing points were 

identified that minimise impacts on registered Aboriginal heritage sites. Also exit points 

for the shipping channel were identified to assist in minimising the amount of dredging. 

These are shown in Figure 9. 

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The potential channel openings were then combined with the potential shore crossings to 

generate the three alternative sites for north of James Price Point (Figure 10), south of 

James Price Point Option 1 (Figure 11) and Option 2 (Figure 12). 

Figure 15 provides additional detail based on southern Option 1. This figure includes a 

port layout option, approximate location of the LNG trains for the foundation proponent. 

The LNG tanks are located about 750 metres (approximately half a mile) from the coast 

and the LNG trains are about 1,100 metres (0.7 of a mile or 1,200 yards). The buffer 

zones are also indicated. 

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Figure 8: Identified constraints 

Formatte


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Figure 9: Potential channel openings to sea and shore crossing points


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Figure 10: North James Price Point site option


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Figure 11: South James Price Point site Option 1


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Figure 12: South James Price Point site Option 2


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Figure 13: Alternate site options combined with Master Plan northern site


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Figure 14: Alternate site options combined with Master Plan southern site


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Figure 15: Indicative layout of foundation development and Precinct


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Figure 16: Indicative layout of foundational development


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Figure 17: Indicative view from sea of the foundational development


5. Questions and Answers 

The answers in this section were provided by Woodside and consequently there may be 

instances where further discussion between the State and Traditional Owners will be 

required before a final position is reached. 

5.1. Northern Versus Southern Site Locations 

Coastal Stabilisation and Retaining Walls 

Question ñ What is the extent of retaining walls required and how will sand dunes 

and pindan be managed? 

General 

Generally, there should be no requirement for retaining walls on the actual plant site itself 

for either a north or southern site. The aim is to work with 2-4 terraced levels. The 

process trains should be at the one level as far as possible. The aim would be to slope 

the side of the levelled area back to the natural surface with some rock stabilisation if the 

soils are likely to erode away due to rainfall runoff. This treatment is mainly in the pindan 

areas. 

The aim would be to balance the cut and fill volumes so that there are not excess 

quantities of material to dispose. If it is not possible to use the pindan in the plant 

earthworks, then it would be used for low level banks to help screen the plant. In this 

case the slopes will be fairly flat (like a natural hill) to avoid erosion and allow planting of 

local plants on the banks. 

Northern Site 

The pindan scarp (cliff) at the beach line to the north of James Price Point may need 

protection against cyclonic surge and wave actions. No studies have been carried out at 

this time, however, if protection is required, it is likely to be placed rock rather than 

concrete sea walls. These rock walls are likely to be parallel to the shore for a minimum 

of a few hundred metres (Figure 18). 

The northern site is likely to have pindan down to a deeper depth. This makes 

construction of the foundations for the LNG plant more difficult and is likely to result in a 

larger land area requirement to work and process this larger volume of pindan sand or 

the use of piles (i.e. drive pylons down to the harder rock). 

Southern Site 

In the sand dune areas, the intent is for minimum disturbance. Where it is necessary to 

cut through them for access and to build the storage tanks, the banks will be sloped and if 

necessary some rocks or other material placed to stabilise the slopes. However, no 

stabilisation is envisaged along the coast. 

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The thickness of pindan on the southern site is expected to be less than the north. 

Although there will be similar difficulties with foundations, the thinner layer should make it 

easier and require less land for managing and processing the pindan sand. 

Figure 18: Potential area requiring shore protection if a northern option is selected 

Dredging and Blasting Requirements 

Questions: 

� What is the relative duration of dredging for the 2 options (north and south) 

and what are the disposal site options? 

� What are the estimated blasting and dredging requirements? 

� What is the difference in the volume and duration of dredging in respect of the 

different location options? 

General 

It will be necessary to establish access for shipping to both the export jetties and the 

material offloading facility. This will require the dredging of a channel/ship turning basin 

and berth pocket at both the export jetty and material offloading facility. 

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At this stage there is no drilling and other ground study (geotechnical) information which 

will assist in understanding the type and nature of the material to be dredged, based on 

knowledge of the Broome jetty works, it is anticipated that it contains a combination of 

soft marine sediments and rock of varying strength. Some of this rock is likely to require 

blasting for its removal. However, until there is drilling and other ground study information 

it is not possible to provide reliable information on the amount of dredging and blasting 

that will be required. 

The impact of the dredging process are likely to be a localised disturbance to a restricted 

area, and temporary increase in the cloudiness of the water (turbidity levels/suspended 

sediment)) associated with the disturbance of the soft sea bed. The outcomes of the 

drilling and ground study investigations, ocean current and tidal studies together with an 

understanding of the equipment likely to be used in the dredging operations will provide 

further information based on how cloudy the water will be (from turbidity plume modelling) 

which will also be overlaid on a benthic (seabed) habitat map. This helps in 

understanding whether corals, sea grasses etc are impacted, and how the dredging 

program can be changed to reduce impacts to an acceptable level. 

At this stage disposal of the dredged material will mainly be to a dredge spoil disposal 

ground. This in effect means placing the dredged material back on the seabed in a 

location that will have minimal effect on the environment. A suitable location for this 

hasnít been selected at this stage, but it will form a component of the various 

environmental impact assessment study requirements. 

Northern Site 

It is expected that a significantly larger amount of rock will need to be removed north of 

James Price Point with more blasting required. This is based on the increased width of 

wave cut platform in this location (approximately 2.5 kilometres or 1.6 miles). A wave cut 

platform is the harder material in flat area often seen at the base of a sea cliff or along a 

shore caused by the action of waves. In addition the bathymetry data also indicates an 

increased amount of dredging would be required because the water is shallower. 

Preliminary estimates indicate a total dredging volume in the order of 15 to 20 million 

cubic metres. Based on the preliminary understanding of the seabed material about half 

of this (50%) potentially needs to be blasted to enable removal (pink area on Figure 19). 

This estimated blast volume is about 12 times the required blasting for the southern site. 

The duration of the dredging and blasting will be dependent on the material type to be 

removed and the dredge(s) that is selected. However this size program is likely to take 1- 

2 dry seasons to complete. 

5279225 35


Figure 19: Dredge material for northern site option 

Southern Site 

The wave cut platform at the southern location is narrower (approximately 1 kilometre) 

and deeper water is closer to shore. This will result in a significant reduction in both 

dredging volumes and potential blasting requirements. 

Preliminary estimates indicate a total dredging volume for a southern James Price Point 

site to be in the order of 6 to 8 million cubic metres or less than half the volume of the 

northern site. It is estimated about 10% of this material would need to be blasted to 

enable removal (pink area on Figure 20). 

A dredging program of 6 to 8 million cubic metres would typically be undertaken over a 

single dry season. 

5279225 36


Figure 20: Dredge material for southern site Option 1 

Visual Impact 

Question ñ What height above sea level will the Precinct/plant be and will the site 

need to be built up? 

General 

The level of the plant is set based on a number of things. The plant height is set by the 

natural ground level at the plant location to minimise the amount of earthworks required. 

As previously discussed this will result in some terracing of the site to achieve this. It is 

also set to ensure protection of the plant, so it must be set with an appropriate height 

above a cyclonic storm surge occurring or tsunami wave. The minimum acceptable 

height is between 12 to15 metres (approximately 39 to49 feet) above mean seal level. 

Northern Site 

The area to the north of James Price Point is higher than to the south. It is apparent that 

the further inland the plant is located, the higher the elevation of the plant compared to 

sea level. As a consequence the plant is likely to be visible from a further distance away. 

As indicated in Figure 21 the ground heights vary from 23 to 52 metres (approximately 75 

to 173 feet) for the LNG facility area. 

5279225 37


Figure 21: Heights of northern site option 

Southern Site 

The area to the south of James Price Point is a bit flatter than to the north and 

consequently the plant will not be seen as far away as the same plant located to the 

north. The ground height in the area of the plant varies from 12 to 56 metres (39 to 184 

feet) for the two southern site options as shown in Figure 22 and Figure 23. 

5279225 38


Figure 22: Heights of southern site Option 1 

Figure 23: Heights of southern site Option 2 

5279225 39


Cost Difference 

Question ñ What is the cost difference between the northern and southern site 

options? 

Without detailed information about the site that would be obtained from onsite studies, it 

is difficult to accurately calculate the cost difference between the northern and southern 

sites. However, estimates indicate this would be significant: 

This cost difference is mostly due to: 

� Additional blasting and dredging for marine works in the shallower water of the 

northern site 

� Potentially a longer jetty length in the northern site and increased length for the 

cryogenic piping to transfer the liquid gas to export vessels at the LNG jetty. 

Cryogenic piping is made from special materials and is specially insulated to handle 

the LNG at minus 161 degrees Celsius. 

� The potential for additional shoreline stabilisation in the more exposed areas to the 

north. 

� Additional piling for critical plant equipment to ensure stability in the deeper pindan 

soil in the northern site. 

The additional costs may make it difficult to attract a second proponent as they may be 

put off by technical and economic issues relating to the layout, that is, they will want the 

opportunity to be as close to the coast as possible. 

5.2. Onshore Issues 

Site Location and Set Back from Coast 

Questions: 

� Why specifically does the Precinct need to be located on the coastal area? 

This causes lots of cultural problems. 

� How far inland will the plant be? 

One of the main reasons for the Precinct being located at the coast is to ensure the plant 

operates effectively and efficiently. 

To export the gas coming from the offshore fields it is necessary to change it from a gas 

to a liquid. This is achieved by cooling the gas down to minus 161 degrees Celsius and 

keeping it at this temperature. It is imperative the liquefied gas is kept cold and this 

requires special equipment and insulated pipelines between the processing trains, the 

storage tanks and the ships. The pipelines are built with special types of steel that can 

withstand the cold, but even so, some heat is gained in moving the liquid and any 

5279225 40


reformed gas must be re-cooled. Unfortunately, the greater the length of pipeline the 

higher the heat gain and the more gas to re-cool, eventually becoming too inefficient to 

be viable. 

The key parts of the plant that are influenced by this are the processing trains, storage 

tanks and the interconnecting pipelines and for this reason they need to be located as 

close together as possible. This is not peculiar to James Price Point and is a 

fundamental concept that is applied to all modern LNG plant layouts. The length of the 

run-down lines from the LNG tanks to the ship loading point is set by: 

� The jetty length which is determined by the distance to deep water; and 

� The distance the LNG tanks are set back from the coast. 

The cultural significance of the coastal area at James Price Point, in relation to known 

registered Aboriginal heritage sites, has been recognised in developing the Woodside 

layout (southern Option 1) presented at the Broome meeting on August 14 th 2009. The 

storage tanks are positioned approximately 750 metres (approximately half a mile) from 

the shore line (based on mean sea level) with the processing trains themselves set back 

a further 1,100 metres (0.7 of a mile or 1,200 yards) from the tanks. In the integrated 

marine layout for the Precinct development, the pipeline distance from the tanks to the 

ship loading point is approximately 4.5 kilometres (2.8 miles) which means the overall 

length of run-down and loading lines between the processing trains and LNG ships is 

approximately 5.6 kilometres (approximately 3.5 miles). 

A review of all other existing LNG facilities around the world show that in almost all cases, 

the LNG tanks are located within a few hundred metres of the coast and within 2 

kilometres (1.2 miles) of the LNG ship loading. Figure 24 and Figure 25 shows the 

results of a review of the set back of all of the LNG plants in the world currently operating 

(N.B. The Tangguh LNG plant in Indonesia is too new to be included in the analysis). 

Aerial photos of these plants are included in Appendix 3. 

5279225 41


Distance (metres) 

Figure 24: Distance from LNG storage tank to ship loading 

Distance (metres) 

5000 

4500 

4000 

3500 

3000 

2500 

2000 

1500 

1000 

500 

0 

6000 

5000 

4000 

3000 

2000 

1000 

0 

Damietta LNG (Egypt) 

Kenai LNG (Alaska) 

Snohvit LNG (Norway) 

Alantic LNG 

Distance from LNG Storage Tank to Ship Loading 

Algeria LNG 

EG LNG (Equatorial Guinea) 

Kenai LNG (Alaska) 

Distance from LNG Train to Storage Tank 

Adgas LNG (UAE) 

Oman LNG 

Snohvit LNG (Norway) 

Figure 25: Distance from LNG storage tank to ship loading 

Bontang LNG (Indonesia) 

Oman LNG 

Marsa El Brega LNG (Libya) 

Bontang LNG (Indonesia) 

EG LNG (Equatorial Guinea) 

Damietta LNG (Egypt) 

Adgas LNG (UAE) 

Algeria LNG 

5279225 42 

Bontang LNG expansion (Indonesia) 

Arun LNG (Indonesia) 

Sakhalin (Russia) 

Egypt LNG 

Pluto LNG 

Marsa El Brega LNG (Libya) 

Alantic LNG 

Nigeria LNG 

Nigeria LNG 

Brunei LNG 

North West Shelf LNG 

Sakhalin (Russia) 

Darwin LNG 

Darwin LNG 

Malaysia LNG 

North West Shelf LNG 

Arun LNG (Indonesia) 

Browse Kimberley (Kimberley) Precinct Precinct (Southern (Sth Option Opti1) 1) 

Egypt LNG 

Pluto LNG 

Qatargas (Qatar) 

Bontang LNG expansion (Indonesia) 

Ras Gas (expansion of Qatargas, Qatar) 

Malaysia LNG 

Browse Kimberley (Kimberley) Precinct Precinct (Southern (Sth Option Opt 1) 1) 

Brunei LNG 

Qatargas (Qatar) 

Ras Gas (expansion of Qatargas, Qatar)


Question: 

Can the site be further inland? As part of this ñ what are the impacts on rundown 

lines and look at soil thickness issues and foundation systems/requirements. 

As described in the answer above, the layout at James Price Point has already located 

the tanks and process trains away from the coast. Consideration has been given to 

moving the LNG storage tanks inland, but this has been assessed as becoming too great 

given the distance to the ship loading point, which from the above table is already greater 

than other plants. It also needs to be understood, that pushing the plant further inland will 

require more land than if the Precinct is located closer to the coast. 

Locating the site for the LNG tanks further inland has been assessed to be unacceptable 

for the reasons outlined above. It is possible for the condensate tanks, however a 

pipeline will be required and potentially additional land to ensure safety distances are 

maintained. 

Although the main consideration is the length of the connecting pipelines, the plant 

foundations must be of high quality and at James Price Point this is expected to be the 

underlying sandstone below the pindan. Woodside is seeking to minimise the 

disturbance to the pindan. Moving the plant inland is expected to increase the depth of 

pindan needing to be removed or treated and this is not considered desirable. 

Question ñ What technical issues would arise from moving the Plant 1-2 kilometres 

east? 

Moving the LNG plant further east has a number of technical issues related to it. The 

LNG trains are already over 1.8 kilometres (about 1.2 miles) inland from the coast. This 

distance combined with the length of the jetty result in the total distance from the LNG 

train through the tanks to the ship loading point of approximately 5.6 kilometres 

(approximately 3.5 miles). Moving the plant even further back creates a number of 

technical challenges including: 

� Cost of the heavy insulated pipelines constructed with special type of steel for the 

refrigerated LNG; 

� The loss of energy due to heating of the LNG over longer pipelines; 

� Increased land required to connect the facility to the tanks and jetty; and 

� Increased disturbed land to connect the pipelines from the gas fields to the LNG 

facility (this land will be rehabilitated and public access will be maintained after 

rehabilitation is completed. 

As a comparison aerial photos showing the set-back of all other LNG plants of the world 

are included in Appendix 1. 

5279225 43


Traditional Owner and Public Access 

Questions: 

� With respect to the complete site ñ what are the exclusion zone requirements 

and what can/canít people access? 

� Explain the buffer zone 

� What can/canít occur in the buffer zone outside the fenced area? 

� Is camping permitted in the buffer zone? 

� Are Traditional Owners allowed to access the buffer zone for fishing and 

hunting activities? 

� Will harvesting and gathering of food be restricted in buffer zones? 

� What kind of proximity restrictions will there be on people near the plant? 

Access to the Precinct will be restricted by a fenced boundary. This is limited to the LNG 

facilities and associated common user facilities. The Heads of Agreement with the KLC 

limits this to a maximum of 2,500 hectares with a requirement to minimise it where 

practicable (note that the foundation development would have an initial fenced area much 

smaller than this). 

Areas outside the Precinct fence are not managed and controlled by the facility 

Proponents. Buffer zones beyond the Precinct boundary are established by the 

Environmental Protection Authority for land planning and development purposes. The 

buffer zones are defined to address separation distances between industrial and sensitive 

land uses with a focus to protect sensitive land uses from unacceptable impacts resulting 

from industrial activities, emissions and infrastructure. Sensitive land uses, as defined by 

the Environmental Protection Authority, include residential development, hospitals, hotels, 

motels, hostels, caravan parks, schools, nursing homes, child care facilities, shopping 

centres, playgrounds, retail outlets, offices and training centres. 

The buffer areas are unfenced and public access is not restricted. Activities such as 

harvesting and gathering of food; driving, walking and fishing can occur in the buffer 

zones. People undertaking activities in the buffer zone will have to abide by local laws 

and regulations as in any other area. The definition of sensitive land use does not restrict 

camping within the buffer areas. 

5279225 44


3 km Sensitive Land Use Buffer 

3 kilometres 

(1.9 Miles) 

Figure 26: Conceptual Precinct layout and sensitive land use buffer zone from the Strategic 

Assessment scoping document 

Note: Precinct layout options for the James Price Point location are shown in Section 3 

and 4. 

5279225 45


Questions: 

� What/where is the proposed access road to the Precinct. Will there be a 

bypass road round the Precinct for the TOs to go further north? 

� If the southern site is chosen ñ will a bypass road be built? 

A highway standard public road will be required to link the Precinct to the Broome 

Road/Highway. This could be achieved by either upgrading Manari Road or via a new 

connection to the Broome to Cape Leveque Road. 

Whether the Precinct is just to the north or south of James Price Point, access to James 

Price Point via Manari Road will be maintained. Should the southern option be chosen 

then construction of a bypass track around the Precinct will be provided. 

Land Area 

Questions: 

� A few months ago you were looking at 1,000 hectares ñ does the area now 

take into account land and sea requirements? 

� How much land is needed for a gas plant? 

When the Northern Development Taskforce originally spoke of 1,000 hectares, this was 

for LNG processing alone on land. In order to accommodate other facilities associated 

with the LNG Precinct such as: laydown and common user areas; internal 

exclusion/safety zones; statutory buffer zones outside of the fence; and an allowance for 

potential cultural heritage protection requirements. The land area was described in more 

detail during the Heads of Agreement negotiations. However, it was also agreed under 

the Heads of Agreement that the parties would work together to minimise the total area 

required to establish the LNG Precinct. 

As stated in the Heads of Agreement between the State, Woodside and the KLC, 

authorised by the Goolarabooloo Jabirr Jabirr native title claimants, the total area of land 

and water for the LNG Precinct will be, subject to heritage protection considerations, 

approximately 3,500 hectares (approximately 2,500 hectares of land and 1,000 hectares 

of waters) excluding the statutory buffer zone. 

The total land area inside the fence is divided up in the following way: 

� 2 industrial blocks for proponents (total of approximately 1,000 hectares) 

� Common user area (service corridor, lay down areas and internal buffer areas being 

a total of approximately 500-1,000 hectares) 

� Approximately 1,000 hectares of land and waters for the port 

Outside of the fenced area will be the following: 

� Workers accommodation (up to 200 hectares) 

5279225 46


� Light industrial area (up to 200 hectares) although it may be possible to include this 

area within the LNG Precinct 

� Access roads (area unknown) 

� Statutory buffer zone (unfenced) around the Precinct fenced area (approximately 

3,000 hectares however usually described in distances from the fence line such as 2 

kilometres and 3 kilometres (1.2 and 1.9 miles respectively). 

Question ñ What is the proposed land area of the development compared to the 

Burrup? 

The LNG facilities within the Precinct will be laid out to meet worldís best practice for the 

safety and operations of the plant for at least the next 30 years. The Precinct size is 

based on a total possible capacity of up to 50 million tonnes per annum. To meet worldís 

best practice the land area needs to account for: 

� Increased spacing between equipment in the LNG train which increases the size of 

each LNG train which will assist in minimising the impact of any accidents; 

� Increasing the distance between LNG trains to reduce the chance of an accident in 

one train having a domino effect on the next train; 

� Increase the distance between ësafeí facilities (such as administration buildings and 

warehouses) and equipment that contains gas or condensate to protect the workers; 

and 

� Increasing the distance between equipment that contains gas or condensate and the 

fence to protect the community; 

In addition the Precinct land area is based on multiple operators that will potentially 

construct their facilities at different times. As a result there needs to be sufficient space 

between the operating equipment and the construction activities (i.e. between different 

proponents and within a proponents are to allow for their expansion). This will ensure 

access for future expansion requirements, without jeopardising the safety of ongoing 

operations of the plant. 

Other issues that need to be allowed for are land needed for construction (e.g. material 

stockpiles), laydown areas (to temporarily store equipment as it arrives until it is installed), 

warehouses, administration and maintenance related buildings, etc. In addition, the 

location will have site specific requirements such as the management of pindan soils (i.e. 

to ensure suitable foundations for the facility). The master plan being developed by the 

State will make sure the area is developed in a sensible and logical way and that all of 

the items listed above are included (primarily within the proponent areas). 

As a comparison the North West Shelf process facilities comprise 5 small to medium size 

LNG processing trains with a combined capacity of just over 16 million tonnes per annum. 

These cover an area of 330 hectares which includes the process facilities and an internal 

safety zone around the site. There is also a southern expansion zone of approximately 

164 hectares, giving a total site area of 494 hectares. 

5279225 47


The above areas for the North West Shelf process facilities do not include a number of 

other areas which are outside the 494 hectares. These additional areas that are in the 

Precinct include laydown areas, warehouses, materials offloading facility, haul road, etc. 

Figure 27: North West Shelf LNG Facility 

5279225 48


Question ñ The proposed Gorgon development on Barrow Island is to be located 

on approximately 300 hectares of land ñ why does the Precinct require 1,000 

hectares? 

The Gorgon development is based on a 15 million tonnes per annum development within 

300 hectares. If this was scaled up to the 50 million tonnes per annum that forms the 

basis of the proposed Precinct an area of 1,166 hectares would be required. It is also 

important to note that the general public is not allowed to access Barrow Island so the 

safety distances to the plant fence is very different and can be reduced. In addition 

Barrow Island has existing infrastructure that isnít included in the 300 hectares. 

Question ñ Can the proposed size of the trains be confirmed as well as the 

reasoning for this. 

As the capacity of the LNG processing train increases, the area required for each train 

also increases (in the context of a 4 to 7.5 million tonnes per annum LNG train). This 

occurs due to the increased size of the components in the LNG train and the increase in 

safety distances within and between the trains due to increases in the hydrocarbon 

inventory (amount of gas) in each train. This is represented in the below diagram. As a 

result, a higher number of trains for the same ultimate capacity doesnít increase land area 

required. 

Medium Trains Larger trains 

450m 706m 

= 31.8 hectares 

The preference to use small LNG trains has been driven by a number of different 

reasons. These include: 

� smaller hydrocarbon inventory (less gas) in each train leading to a safer design; 

� proven technology with many examples around the world; 

� less land needs to be used; 

3 

3 

3 

� increased certainty for cost and schedule (time to build); and 

� no significant cost difference to larger trains. 

632 630m 

= 39.8 hectares 

5279225 49 

432 

432


Questions: 

� Will the plant be air or water cooled and what impact does this have on plant 

layout? 

� What is air cooling and how is this used in LNG processing facilities? 

The main purpose of an LNG plant is to chill natural gas down to minus 161 degrees 

Celsius. To achieve this, the heat taken from the LNG needs to be managed. This can 

be done by either using water or air. This is similar to a carís engine needing to be cooled 

by an electric fan and a radiator. 

Water Cooled Plants 

Due to the large volume of water required to cool an LNG plant, it is usually done with 

sea water (although fresh water is an alternative). The use of water cooling means the 

LNG train can be slightly smaller compared to an air cooled one, however this is a 

relatively small decrease (and wonít change other areas needed for utilities, power 

generation, separation distances, laydown etc). The large volume of water used for 

cooling is extracted from the ocean and then put back at a higher temperature. 

Air Cooled Plant 

Air cooled plants use large radiators (like a car radiator) to cool the plant. This is how all 

existing LNG plants in Australia are operated. This removes the need to release warm 

water into the sea. 

Visual Impact 

Questions: 

� Can the plant be sunk into the ground? 

� Can the LNG tanks be sunk into the ground? 

Sinking of the entire plant is not possible, due to safety, environmental and cost issues. 

The safety issues are: 

� Any gas leaks could stay in the areas below ground; potentially injuring people when 

the gas is inhaled, or causing fire or explosion. 

� High rainfall from cyclones and rain from the wet season would collect in the areas 

below ground requiring collection and pumping out. Electrical equipment being 

under water is a high risk for the safety of the plant and people working in it. 

The cost issue is: 

� Significant additional cost would occur due to the extra earthworks to remove soil 

and create retaining walls around the plant equipment. 

5279225 50


The environmental issue is: 

� Significant additional soil disposal would be required, as the current design requires 

piling foundations, or removal, treatment and replacement of the soil (i.e. the soil is 

re-used, not dumped separately). 

Sinking of the LNG tanks to the roof would incur significant additional cost. Initial 

enquiries to CB&I (an LNG tank building company) have indicated an additional cost of 

about $500 million. This is due to the fact that this would place the LNG tank down into 

the harder sandstone material (harder to excavate) and below the water table. 

Partially sinking the LNG tank, for example, to the depth of the pindan sand, can be 

considered. As the soil could be backfilled, safety issues can be reduced. However, as 

the depth of the pindan soil is unclear until the site is agreed and surveys completed, the 

depth to which the tanks can be sunk is also unclear. Expectations are that the 

sandstone would be 10 to 15 metres (33 to 49 feet) below the pindan surface, but some 

improvement would be lost due to the tank foundations which were already below ground 

level. However as the total tank height is in the order of 45 metres (approximately 148 

feet), sinking the tanks by 10 to 15 metres (33 to 49 feet) would not provide much benefit. 

Question - Can you change the colour of the LNG plant equipment to green for 

example, instead of silver? 

As part of the Strategic Assessment, a visual impact assessment will be undertaken to 

increase the understanding of the visual impact of the facility/what it will look like on 

country from the land and the sea. The level of visual impact of a facility will depend on 

several things. Basically this involves understanding what country is like now such as the 

character of the selected site; the colour and type of terrain or hills in the area; the size 

and colour of existing plants in the area; the scale of the natural environment; the size 

and colour of the facility; the location of the facility; etc. 

Woodside as a potential foundation proponent will undertake a visual impact assessment 

to determine the level of visual impact of its proposed facility and to identify what could be 

changed so it doesnít look as obvious. Traditional Owners will be consulted in this study. 

Painting the plant a different colour (rather than the normal silver of the plant) will be part 

of the alternatives considered as it is technically feasible to paint significant portions of 

the plant to help blend it in to country although it will have maintenance and cost 

implications. 

5279225 51


Questions: 

� How much light will the plant emit? 

� How far will it be visible? 

LNG facilities by their nature are relatively large facilities. The majority of the equipment is 

typically less than 40 metres tall (about 8 storeys high) with only some equipment 

protruding above this. Obstructions such as hills and trees as well as atmospheric 

visibility significantly reduce the distance from which an LNG facility would be visible. 

Visibility over water is greater as structures will be built approximately 15 metres above 

sea level. However the land behind the plant will rise higher (approximately to 200m) 

assisting in reducing the visibility of the facility. Any structures greater than 40 metres in 

height tend to be narrow and consequently not that visible. 

The equipment that is 40m tall would be able to be seen about 30 km (19 miles) out to 

sea. 

The topography of a site and surrounding area is a key factor in the ability to see and 

hear the activities of an LNG plant from various distances. Furthermore, there are 

regulatory requirements that set conditions for noise levels and design factors that can 

reduce the visibility of the LNG plant and the noise emission. A more detailed 

assessment of the visual impacts will be addressed in the Strategic Assessment Report. 

Figure 28: View of proposed foundational development from the sea 

5279225 52


Flares 

Questions: 

� Will there be a flare? 

� Where is the flare going to be? 

� How many flares are required? 

� How high will it be? 

There are 3 flares required for the potential Woodside foundation development (up to 3 

trains at first) these include: 

� An emergency flare, this will be a tall flare structure (approximately 150 metres or 500 

feet high) which has three flare outlets (one outlet for very cold gas, one outlet for 

warm gas, and a spare which is normally disconnected). This flare will very rarely be 

operated and typically will only be for short amounts of time. 

� A marine flare for the LNG tanks and loading system which is only used occasionally 

(approximately 50 metres or 160 feet high); and 

� An operational flare, which is low, and likely to be flaring small amounts of gas on a 

regular basis (approximately 30 metres or 100 feet high). 

As the purpose of an LNG plant is to make as much LNG as possible, the idea is to 

minimise the amount of flaring (or gas that is burnt off) to maximise the amount of LNG 

sold. As a result, flaring is minimised with only the smaller operational flare be regularly 

used. 

Question - Can there be a ground flare instead of flare tower? 

The option of a ground flare is being looked at for the operational flare, but not for the 

emergency flare. This is because repair and maintenance of the emergency flare must 

be possible while the plant is operating. A ground flare can not be fully accessed when 

the plant is operating, and would require all gas, liquids and pressure to be removed from 

the entire plant, which would cause unacceptably long plant shutdowns. In addition a 

ground flare takes more land area than a flare tower and is noisier. 

Darwin LNG is able to use a ground flare as it only has a single train and any required 

flare maintenance can coincide with a shutdown of the single LNG train. For multiple 

LNG trains maintenance is staggered to minimise the temporary maintenance workforce 

which results in the flare always needing to be available. 

Woodside is continuing to look at where a ground flare may be possible to be used. 

Questions: 

� What light and heat comes from the flares? 

� How bright will it be? 

5279225 53


� How far does the light go and does the heat destroy the environment? 

� How noisy will it be? 

� How long for start-up flare? 

Although flares are needed for the operation of the LNG facility, the normal operating 

case is to keep all flaring to an absolute minimum as the aim is to sell a much gas as 

possible as LNG and to reduce emissions wherever possible. Both the emergency flare 

and marine flare will only be used occasionally. The operational flare is much shorter and 

therefore wonít be that easy to see from a distance. Woodside is also looking at ways to 

reduce the number of times it is used, the amount of gas flared/burnt and how easy it is to 

see the operational flare. 

People will be able to see when the large emergency flare is used from a long distance 

away. However this does not happen very often and usually only lasts for a few minutes, 

with the flame size getting a lot smaller within 10 minutes. 

All of the flares are designed to deal with the largest amount of heat to be expected 

whether it is normal operations or the worst type of emergency possible. To protect 

people and the environment a series of criteria is placed on the maximum heat that can 

reach the ground. A relatively small exclusion zone at the base of the flare (a circle of a 

couple of hundred metres or around 219 yards) will be cleared. Outside of this the flare is 

highly unlikely to directly damage plants or animals. The environmental impacts from the 

light caused by the flare is expected to be fairly small due to the flaring events not 

happening very often. In addition, half of these events are likely to occur during the day 

when they will not increase the light impact. 

The noise of the flares will be considered as part of the Strategic Assessment. During an 

emergency event there will be a short period when the flare will be noisy. However this 

will only be for a few minutes as described previously. For the vast majority of the time, 

the noise of the flare is similar to the rest of the plant. 

Question - Can the flare be moved? 

The flare can be moved either north or south on the site. However, moving the 

emergency flare away from the coast (east/inland) has the following issues: 

� More land will be required. The marine flare must remain close to the LNG tanks, as 

the tanks operate at very low pressure and the gas can not flow large distances to 

reach the flare. If the marine, emergency and operational flares were moved apart, the 

sterile areas around each flare would no longer overlap. This will require more land to 

be used than the current layout. Note: the sterile area is the area in which there is too 

much heat from the flare to allow any people or equipment to remain, for the worst 

flaring situation. 

� The flare will be seen from further away. The slope of the land runs upwards away 

from the coast, if the flare is moved away from the coast the entire flare will be higher 

and easier to see from further away. 

� The piping and piperacks will be seen from further away. The slope of the land 

runs upwards away from the coast. The piping to all flares would normally have a 

5279225 54


small slope downwards towards the flare, to make sure that any liquids run into the 

flare drum, and do not run backwards and block the flare piping. This is an important 

safety requirement. Placing the flares away from the coast may require piping to be 

placed higher than the current design and make it easier to see further away. 

Accommodation 

Questions: 

� What are the requirements for the accommodation camp? 

� Will Woodside build on a town site or not and why? 

The current requirement for the location of construction and operations accommodation is 

3 to 5 kilometres (1.9 to 3.1 miles) from the plant boundary. This is due to concerns in 

relation to safety, cost and community impact. 

Safety 

An accommodation facility or camp is really a place for people to live while they are 

working. This means it falls in the category of a ësensitive land useí and therefore must 

meet the defined Environmental Protection Authority requirements. As a result, the 

accommodation facilities must be located at least 3 kilometres (1.9 miles) away from the 

LNG facilities. However the maximum distance away should be kept to about 

5 kilometres (3.1 miles) as increasing this distance further adds to the risk of road 

accidents for up to 3,500 people travelling per day to and from work. Increasing the 5 

kilometres (3.1 miles) journey to (say) 20 kilometres (12 miles) provides 4 times the risk 

of accident and injury, possibly more. This is because the more driving that is done at 

say 100 kilometres per hour on country roads might mean more accidents due to issues 

relating to tired drivers not paying attention, wildlife/animals venturing onto the road at 

dawn and dusk and other times of the day as well as other road users driving at high 

speeds on the road. 

Cost 

With a shorter distance from the plant, each bus with workers on it can complete lots of 

trips in a short amount of time meaning a smaller number of buses and drivers required. 

Community Impact 

The construction and operation phases of the plant will be on a 24 hour shift basis. It is 

important for the wellbeing of the workers that the accommodation is located reasonably 

close to the Precinct. 

The early thinking is that the accommodation will be high quality and have a variety of 

recreational facilities contained within it (particularly for construction). This will assist in 

lowering the impact on Broome and Dampier Peninsula communities. 

5.3. Shore Crossing and Coastal Impacts 

Question: 

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What is the area of land required for shore crossing? 

A shore crossing for an LNG facility at the Precinct is critical for the operation of the 

facility. The shore crossing across the beach and associated corridor connecting it to the 

main LNG facility is required to carry several important pieces of infrastructure. There are 

two types of corridors required for the LNG Precinct. The first is for the pipelines coming 

from the gas fields offshore and include: 

� Multiple large pipelines that carry the gas and liquids in from the gas field (and 

offshore facilities). As these are high pressure gas pipelines they need to meet 

appropriate safety requirements to ensure they are appropriately separated from 

each other; roads and areas of public access. 

� Return lines that pump the chemicals recovered from the liquid stream back offshore 

to the gas fields. This primarily consists of Monoethylene Glycol (MEG) which is an 

anti-freeze very similar to what is put in car radiators in colder climates. 

The large pipelines need to cross the shore a safe distance from the area that ships will 

operate in to maintain safety of the facilities. 

The second type of corridor is for the loading the LNG onto ships and connecting the 

LNG facilities to the Materials Offloading Facility (MOF). The items in this corridor include: 

� LNG loading lines are required to carry the LNG from the tanks to the ship and gas 

(LNG) vapour from the ship back to the LNG facility. Consequently two lines are 

needed for each berth; 

� Condensate (light oil) loading lines are required to load the condensate from the 

storage tank out to the loading berth; 

� Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) loading lines need to be allowed for in case a future 

proponent produces LPG if it needs to be removed from the gas to meet the LNG 

specification requirements; 

� A haul road is needed to connect the Materials Offloading Facility to the LNG plant 

to carry the large modules (potentially up to 10,000 tonnes) up to the LNG facility. 

This haul road requires about 75 metres (82 yards) of width); 

� Access road to the jetty for workers and maintenance equipment; 

� Various other utilities also need to be supplied including power, water, 

communications, etc. 

As the Precinct is designed to be expanded in the future the corridor and beach crossing 

has to allow enough room for the facilities that will already be operating and the 

installation of the new facilities to support expansion while the existing facilities remain in 

use. For example when a new pipeline from the sea is pulled ashore this cannot occur 

too close to an existing pipeline that is already operating so that the safety of the workers, 

community and environment is maintained. 

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Question - What kind of pipeline will be built? Will it be buried? If so, where will it 

be buried? What will be the path of the pipeline? What size pipe will be used? 

What are the minimum and maximum lengths of the pipeline? 

The Precinct will require a number of pipelines to connect the gas fields to the LNG 

processing facilities. Enough pipelines need to be included to meet the potential 

maximum Precinct capacity (50 million tonnes per annum) supporting multiple offshore 

gas fields and the staged development of the Precinct. Therefore the pipelines required 

include: 

� up to 4 gas pipelines from the gas fields (in the order of 1.2 metres or 48 inches in 

diameter); and 

� up to 4 condensate/water pipelines from the gas fields to the Precinct (in the order of 

0.45 metres or 18 inch in diameter); 

� option for 2 export pipelines of up to 0.6 metres in diameter (24 inches), conveying 

carbon dioxide to possibly re-injection offshore (put back in the ground/reservoir) 

should a project proponent elect to re-inject reservoir carbon dioxide; 

� Option for up to 4 export pipelines of around 0.45 metres in diameter (18 inches), 

conveying monoethylene glycol (MEG) back to the offshore facilities. MEG is like 

anti-freeze used in car radiators in places where it snows. 

Offshore in deep water the pipelines will be laid via a pipelay vessel (Figure 30). To make 

sure the pipelines donít move due to waves and cyclones they will be have a combination 

of being buried in a trench and rock dumped on top to hold the pipeline down. 

The proposed shore crossing locations for the pipelines are shown in Figure 9. These 

locations were identified to avoid known heritage areas and be a safe distance from the 

shipping channel for safety. 

The pipelines will require a prepared area (for pulling the pipelines ashore) and an 

onshore pipeline corridor through to the LNG facility. The pipeline will be buried and all 

the area rehabilitated following installation. 

Figure 29 shows the pipeline corridors for the Southern James Price Point Option 1. The 

pipelines will be built in stages. The foundation proponent will use half of the first corridor 

for its initial pipelines. The onshore area will then be rehabilitated. When the foundation 

proponent expands their plant they will use the second half of the pipeline corridor and 

again rehabilitate the area. This process would be repeated on the other corridor for the 

future proponent(s). 

There will be no access restriction to these areas after installation and rehabilitation is 

completed. 

Woodside, as foundation proponent, would continue to investigate ways to reduce the 

potential environmental and heritage impacts in consultation with the Traditional Owners. 

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Figure 29: South James Price Point Option 1 with pipelines 

Figure 30: Pipelay vessel 

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Question ñ With respect to impact on the coast you indicated 40 hectares of vine 

thicket would be impacted to the south of James Price Point. How big is the coastal 

impact overall? 

The actual area of disturbed coast is dependent on the final location of the site. It has 

been estimated to be approximately 1.3 to 1.5 kilometres of coastal disturbance. This 

area includes the shoreline, coastal dunes and up to 40 to 60 hectares of vine thicket (for 

a southern site). The pipeline corridor may also require some vine thicket clearing, and 

this will be rehabilitated once the pipeline is installed. 

Vine thickets occur in many locations along the Dampier Peninsula coastline. The 40-60 

hectares represents about 10-15% of the vine thickets that are occur in the James Price 

Point area. 

5.4. Marine Issues 

Construction (Dredging and Blasting) 

Question ñ How much dredging is necessary? 

Preliminary estimates indicate a total dredging volume for a southern James Price Point 

site to be in the order of 6 to 8 million cubic metres or less than half the volume of the 

northern site. It is estimated about 10% of this material would need to be blasted to 

enable removal. 

Total dredging volume for a northern James Price Point location would be approximately 

15 to 20 million cubic metres. Based on the preliminary understanding of the seabed 

material, about half of this (50%) potentially needs to be blasted to enable removal. This 

estimated blast volume is about 12 times the required blasting for the southern site. 

Question - How often will repeat or maintenance dredging be required? 

Currently there is insufficient information to make an assessment on maintenance 

dredging requirements. Once a better understanding of seabed properties and the 

movement of sand in the area is understood from planned studies and sampling 

programs a scientifically based estimate can be made on the need for repeat or 

maintenance dredging. However based on professional experience it is anticipated to be 

around every 5-10 years. 

Question ñ With respect to dredge sediment, how long will it be until the sediment 

settles down and how do you intend to control and contain the dredge plume? 

Once the dredge stops operating the water is typically back to normal within a few hours 

and usually it isnít possible to measure any plume after 12 to 24 hours. This time is likely 

to vary based on weather conditions; current flow; type of material being dredged and the 

dredge technique being used. 

As part of the environmental impact assessment and engineering design work more 

information will be collected on the material to be dredged; currents and waves in the 

area; water depth; and seabed characteristics to better understand what is likely to occur. 

This then enables the selection of the type of dredging technique that can used and with 

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the support of modelling what needs to be done to control the dredge plume (cloudiness 

in the water). 

Questions: 

� Do any plants and animals die during dredging? 

� What are the environmental effects of dredging? 

The key risks to plants and animals from dredging are a result of the generation of 

sediment plumes (cloudiness in the water) in the area around dredging activities. This 

sediment plume/cloudiness could cause temporary disturbance to fish, mammals, reptiles 

etc which could result in these species temporarily moving away from the area. This 

however would be a temporary behaviour change and once the sediment settles these 

species would resume normal behaviour patterns. 

Dredging, which involves removal of sediment form the sea bed, can directly cause loss 

of sea grass and corals if they are situated on the seabed that is dredged. The 

environmental impact assessment identifies areas of seagrass, coral, algae etc and the 

port layout, channel etc are designed to minimise impacts to these habitats. 

There is also a risk of impact to these marine habitats from the dredge plume in the water 

generated. Dredge plumes/cloudiness in the water can spread out and potentially 

smother algae, sea grass etc as the sediment settles. The environmental impact 

assessment will determined the extent of the dredge plume and predict the likely area of 

marine habitats potentially impacted. The dredging will then be designed to minimise this 

impact to an acceptable level. 

Question ñ What are the likely impacts on reefs? Is this linked to drilling for the 

jetty? 

The nearshore marine environment/saltwater country consists of sandy patches and an 

extensive rocky platform extending from the shore. There are no coral reefs close to the 

site, although there are some small patches of isolated coral and sparse sea grasses, 

particularly in the northern area. 

Construction of the jetty, breakwater and other marine facilities will likely involve piling 

and dredging in the nearshore marine environment. Depending on the location of the 

site, the impacts to the marine environment including the rocky platform will include some 

physical disturbance (e.g. holes drilled into the rocky bottom to stabilise the jetty) and also 

temporary disturbance from sediments which become stirred up during the process. 

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) being undertaken by the State in 

cooperation with Woodside aims to identify the impacts to elements of the environment 

(including areas of reef, sea grass etc) and development measures to reduce these 

impacts to acceptable levels. 

Question - How long until the sea life comes back after dredging? 

Sediment plumes (cloudiness of the water) caused by dredging temporarily affect water 

quality in the area around the activities. The higher turbidity of these waters could cause 

some species to temporarily move away from the area, however these are likely to 

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resume normal behaviour patterns and return to the area once the sediment settles. 

Once dredging ceases, the time taken for sediment to settle depends on the ocean 

conditions and the sediment size, however is not likely to be more than 24 hrs. 

Some sea life such as seagrass, algae etc are potentially at risk of smothering as 

sediment settles from a dredge plume. The environmental impact assessment will 

increase our understanding of the areas likely to be impacted and the level of impact. 

Question - What is the policy regarding the removal of clam and trumpet shells? 

Will efforts be made to re-locate them? 

Efforts will be made to understand the likely presence of clams, trumpet shells and other 

species of concern in the area through the marine studies and environmental impact 

assessment, and in consultation with Traditional Owners. Based on an understanding of 

the distribution of these animals and the likely area to be effected, an assessment can be 

made on the likely impact from any losses of individuals within this population. It is 

anticipated that the proportion of habitat that will be lost relative to the available suitable 

habitat will be minimal. However, through the impact assessment we intend to 

understand where the critical habitats occur and minimise impacts to these locations. 

The ability to relocate individual shells will be severely restricted and currently would not 

be considered likely because: 

� it will be difficult to locate individual shells in the construction area; 

� it will be unsafe to work anywhere near the dredging activities to collect the shells; 

� shell collection would require diving which is also a dangerous activity that is 

avoided wherever possible; and 

� the populations are anticipated to be widespread in the area and therefore resilient 

in relation to any direct losses of individuals in the LNG Precinct port area. 

Commitments to minimise impacts on clams and trumpet shells can be picked up in either 

the environmental and/or cultural heritage management plans that will be included as part 

of the ILUA (or ILUAs) for the Precinct and/or proponentís project. 

Question ñ What offshore drilling is required for the jetty? 

Drilling for the jetty will be required firstly to understand the marine geology (material 

type) via geotechnical surveys (drilling and other ground studies) and then secondly to 

install the piles for the jetty. 

The geotechnical investigations for the marine works, including the jetty, will be 

conducted in a particular order. Firstly, this will require drilling to understand foundation 

conditions. This will involve drilling several bore holes to build an early understanding of 

the geology/ground conditions. Once the initial understanding is obtained a more 

detailed and thorough investigation will be required. The exact number bore holes to be 

drilled is not yet finalised, but is likely to be between 20 and 40 holes. Depending on the 

results of these drill holes, additional drilling may be required for design purposes. 

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The jetty is likely to be built using piles anchored to the seabed into the rock. The spacing 

and number of piles will depend on the final configuration of the jetty. The requirement for 

piles will be broadly similar for both north and south of James Price Point options. 

Marine Facilities 

Question ñ What type of jetty will there be and what is the expected size? 

The jetty design is influenced by the geological and seabed conditions and the distance 

to deep water. Differences in the marine environment to the north and south of James 

Price Point are very significant and will influence the concept that is adopted. 

Each proponent would have its own jetty. This is driven by: 

� Safety considerations from events that could occur due to another operator; 

� Uncertainty over the jetty design requirements for future proponents. 

A single jetty for three berths is sufficient to meet the foundation proponentís 

requirements. The export of 50 million tonnes per annum of LNG from the Precinct will 

require six berths, and the number of jetties will be dependent on the number of 

proponents. 

If a jetty structure is used it is likely to be an open trestle structure supported on driven 

steel piles anchored into the rock below the seabed. The height of the jetty will be set to 

avoid overtopping in any cyclone or other extreme event. The jetty itself will provide a 

single traffic lane and a series of pipelines for LNG and condensate loading as well as 

return gases and vapours. 

A key focus for the port and jetty design will be to minimise the footprint/area required 

(particularly for the coastal crossing) as far as practicable. 

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Figure 31: North West Shelf LNG Jetty (right) showing one jetty with two berths. 

Figure 32: Photo showing trestle structure of North West Shelf jetties 

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Figure 33: Jetty construction 

Question ñ How big will the breakwater be and what will it be made from? 

The marine concepts are not yet finalised and are dependent on the selected site and 

ocean conditions at that location. However, based on the information that has been 

collected there is likelihood for a breakwater to protect the LNG loading berth. This 

breakwater is expected to be in approximately 12 to15 metres (13 to 16 yards) of water 

depth. The length and orientation of the breakwater will be governed by the site location 

and marine facilities layout (including jetty, channel etc). No decision has been made on 

the type of breakwater. 

Studies have identified a shortage of suitable breakwater armour rock in the region, and a 

preference to use a prefabricated concrete caisson breakwater, eliminating the need for 

armour rock. A caisson is a large concrete block (built by connecting multiple large 

concrete cylinders) that can be floated into place and sunk onto the seabed. A series of 

these when combined together and when completed will be similar size to a rock type 

breakwater. 

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Figure 34: Cross section of caisson breakwater 

Figure 35: Caisson type breakwater 

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Figure 36: Cross section of breakwater 

Figure 37: Rock armour / concrete armour breakwater 

Figure 38: Example of concrete armour breakwater using accropode 

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Vessel Management 

Questions: 

� How is bilge from vessels managed including invasive marine species and 

how are invasive species attached to ships hulls managed? 

� How and where will company empty the ballast water? 

The risk and management of invasive marine species is an issue for all ports around the 

world. This is an area of strong focus by both the State and Commonwealth governments 

with legislation in place to manage the risk relating to the potential spread of invasive 

marine species. All Precinct proponents will need to manage potential invasive marine 

species in compliance with the legislation and any conditions that are set via the Strategic 

Assessment and other relevant environmental approvals. This will also involve trying to 

understand what invasive marine species may already exist in and around James Price 

Point as well as at Broome Port and how they should be managed so they donít spread 

any further/as well as measures to prevent the potential introduction of new species from 

elsewhere. 

There are a number of ways that invasive marine species could be introduced with the 

main two being via ballast water (i.e. from the bilge) or on the hull of a vessel. 

Management of ballast water is relatively well understood and is regulated by the 

Australian Quarantine Inspection Service. Ships are generally required to flush their 

ballast water tanks while out in the deep ocean (deep water species generally donít 

survive closer to the coast and visa versa). They are then required to complete a report 

and provide it to the government. 

Management of invasive marine species on the hull is the current focus of regulatory 

development and management practices. Australian National Biofouling Management 

Guidelines have been prepared as a collaborative effort by the Australian State and 

Northern Territory governments, marine industries, researchers and conservation groups. 

These guidance documents were released in 2009 as part of the National System for the 

Prevention and Management of Marine Pest Incursions. The Precinct proponents would 

be required to meet these requirements along with any conditions set as part of the 

Strategic Assessment. 

In practice, this typically means proponents will need to understand the history of where a 

vessel has been, its potential for being affected by invasive marine species and where 

necessary having divers inspect the vessels prior to them being used. If invasive marine 

species are identified, measures may be able to be put in place to remove these prior to 

the vessel being utilised. If a proponent canít be certain these issues have been dealt 

with and there is a significant risk invasive marine species may be introduced from the 

vessel, there may also be the option of looking for more appropriate vessels. 

Question ñ How many and what type of boats/ships will there be during 

construction and operations and where will the shipping lanes be located? 

The number of vessel movements required during the foundation proponentís initial 

construction phase has not been determined as yet and this is dependent on the 

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construction techniques, site location, bathymetry and metocean conditions. Vessels are 

likely to be utilised for: 

� Jetty construction; 

� Module transport; 

� LNG processing vessels and equipment import; 

� Rock import; 

� Pipeline installation; 

� Breakwater construction; 

� Dredging; and 

� Bulk supplies for upstream and downstream aspects of the development as well as 

drilling activities. 

Vessel use will be distributed over the full construction period. At the height of the 

construction the number of vessels off the James Price Point area could be in the order of 

20 at any one time. These activities will be coordinated and managed to minimise the 

impacts to the environment. 

Figure 39: Supply boat and lay barge 

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During plant operation, regular vessel movements will include LNG and condensate 

carriers. The number of vessels that will visit the Precinct relates to the capacity of the 

LNG processing facilities and the size of the LNG carriers. As a guide, export of 11 

million tonnes per annum of LNG, with condensate export would require approximately 

200 vessel movements per year and this equates to less than one per day. If the 

foundation proponent were to expand its LNG plant so that it produced 25 million tonnes 

per annum, this would mean around 450 ships per year or eight per week/just over one 

each day. If the LNG Precinct reached its overall capacity of 50 million tonnes per year of 

LNG this may mean around 900 ships per year or 17 per week which is just over two per 

day. 

Figure 40: LNG ship 

The location and details of the dredged channel have not yet been determined and is 

dependent on the site location. Figure 41 shows the potential shipping channel/shipping 

lane based on the southern site (Option 1). 

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Shipping Channel 

Figure 41: Potential shipping channel / shipping lane for the southern site Option 1 

Question ñ What rules and management arrangements apply to the ships as they 

come in and out of port? 

The management arrangements for ships as they come in and out of port will be in line 

with most port arrangements around the world. These include: 

� Pilots boarding the ship about five nautical miles (about nine kilometres or five miles) 

off James Price Point in clear deep water. The pilot will be dedicated to the port and 

will be very knowledgeable on the port conditions and will have had significant 

experience as a ship captain; 

� Ships will only be allowed to berth if conditions are safe. So if the waves are too 

large, the wind too strong or currents too great the ships will not enter the port; 

� At about the same location as the pilot boards the ship, tugs will begin their escort of 

the ship all the way into the berth and escort the ship back out again once the cargo 

is loaded; and 

� Pilots guide the ship back out of port and leaving the ship at about the same location 

they boarded. 

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Ships entering the port will need to meet all of the standard rules that apply to any ship 

coming into any port in Australia. This includes quarantine, immigration and customs 

requirements. In addition, companies such as Woodside require all ships that accept 

cargo from their facilities be subjected to a vessel vetting process to ensure quality ships 

are used and that they are compatible with the port. 

The open ocean approach of the ships to the Dampier Peninsula will be under the control 

of the ships captain. Given the location of James Price Point the ships will stay at least 

16 nautical miles (30 kilometres or 18 miles) offshore of the Lacepede Islands as required 

by normal seafaring practices. Seafaring practices will result in the ships captain 

selecting a route that will stay in well surveyed and understood areas. 

5.5. Environmental Management 

Animals 

Questions: 

� What effect will the plant have on surrounding animals? 

� Will the light from the plant affect turtles? 

� What information is there about noise and its effect on calving whales? 

Construction of the plant and all associated infrastructure will not commence until a 

detailed environmental assessment is undertaken and all approvals are in place. The 

environmental assessment determines the level of impact on all environmental features, 

including the animals. Measures will be put in place to minimise impacts to an acceptable 

level. For example this would include designing the layout of the plant and facilities to 

avoid sensitive habitats where practicable, and putting in place operating procedures 

such as speed limits to protect the wildlife. 

When turtles come up to a beach to lay eggs, or hatchlings emerge from the nests, they 

can be disoriented by artificial lighting from buildings or other coastal development. The 

environmental impact assessment will identify whether there is potential for impacts from 

lighting. If required the plant and all infrastructure can be designed so that the lighting 

minimises impact on the turtles. This can be done by using particular types of lights, or 

shielding the lights to reduce light spill onto sensitive areas. 

The potential for noise from the construction activities, the LNG plant and LNG tankers 

will be assessed as a part of the environmental assessment process. Once the level of 

noise is understood, studies will be undertaken with whale and marine fauna experts to 

determine whether the noise could impact on calving whales. If there is a risk of impacts 

on calving whales then measures will be put in place to reduce the risk of any impacts. 

This assessment will form the basis for the environmental approvals. 

5.6. Noise, Water and Waste Management 

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Noise 

Question ñ How noisy are the LNG trains? 

Until the LNG Precinct layout has been developed and the design work completed, it is 

not possible to give absolute noise levels. However, the average noise level at the 

Precinct boundary is targeted to be 65 decibels. A noise level of 65 decibels is roughly 

equivalent to slightly elevated speech or laughter. 

Noise management in Western Australia is implemented through the Environmental 

Protection (Noise) Regulations 1997 under the Environmental Protection Act 1986. The 

plant will be designed to meet the requirements of the relevant legislation. Further 

information can be obtained from the Environmental Protection Authorityís Guidance for 

the Assessment of Environmental Factors Statement 8 - Environmental Noise. In 

addition; the noise sources on the plant will need to meet occupational noise standards. 

Drainage and Watercourse Management 

Questions: 

� If there are any rivers and creeks in the Precinct, how will you manage them? 

� How will drainage issues be handled? 

There are two main creeks in the James Price Point area (one to the north and one south 

of James Price Point). In addition, there are a number of minor creeks. The aim is to 

avoid the two larger creeks to minimise potential environmental impacts and also 

because the volume of water is likely to be too large to manage. No hydrology (surface 

water runoff) studies have been carried out to date although we now have the area of the 

catchments for all creeks. A hydrology study will be completed as part of the Strategic 

Assessment. 

Site earthworks will create a series of level terraces. There will be no impact or access 

restriction on the two major creeks from these earthworks. There may be some impact 

on the minor creeks, however this will only be possible to assess once the site has been 

defined and the hydrology study is completed. On comparable projects where waterflows 

have been large, creeks have been maintained and bridges built at crossing points 

within the plant site. If required, this approach could possibly be adopted for the James 

Price Point site. 

Where pipelines need to cross creeks they will be buried under the ground and the creek 

area rehabilitated so natural flows are not changed. 

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Figure 42: Creeks and catchment areas 

Waste Water Management 

Questions: 

� What discharges are there? 

� How will sewage be dealt with? 

� What is the waste management plan of the gas plant? 

� With respect to waste and waste disposal - what waste can be expected and 

how will it be dealt with? 

Waste 

LNG processing creates a relatively small amount of solid waste compared to other 

industrial processes. The majority of the waste generated is domestic type waste (e.g. 

plastics, cans, metal, paper and cardboard). Some hazardous waste will also be 

generated (e.g. mercury and oil contaminated filters, grease, empty chemical containers, 

batteries, fluorescent lights, spent solvents, paints, etc). 

The development will mostly make use of existing waste management services, for 

example a local land fill site (following liaison with the Shire of Broome on capacity). Non- 

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hazardous wastes will typically be directed to landfill. Recycling will be pursued where 

possible. All hazardous materials will be recorded, tracked, segregated from other waste 

streams and stored in suitable containers. Hazardous wastes will be disposed of via 

existing, approved hazardous waste reception facilities. 

Waste water management 

Waste water management will be designed to minimise the risk of any environmental 

harm and where possible, re-use and recycle of waste water streams. Discharges to 

freshwater bodies will be limited to standard rainfall runoff from non-contaminated areas 

of the facility, for example offices and accommodation blocks, which may drain to natural, 

existing water channels within the lease site and exit to the sea. This discharge poses 

negligible if any environmental risk. 

The LNG plant will be designed and operated to ensure that all spills and leaks are 

contained (within a bunded area) and contaminated storm water captured to ensure that 

there will be no impacts on the quality of the groundwater. Examples of bunding include 

concrete curbing and drainage systems around equipment and large linings covering the 

ground and around storage tanks which will hold the full volume of the storage tank. 

Collected waste water including which may include treated sewage and grey water, 

rainfall runoff from potentially contaminated and non-contaminated areas, machinery 

wash down water and the brine waste water from desalination processes will be treated 

to a high standard. This treated waste water will be discharged to sea in a controlled 

manner and tested to meet stringent water quality standards consistent with Australian 

guidelines before being discharged at an appropriate location. The exact discharge 

location will be based on an environmental impact assessment to help determine the best 

location for any outfall to minimise any risk of environmental impact. However it is 

anticipated that the outfall would be located 2 to 3 kilometres (1.2 to 1.9 miles) offshore. 

An outfall is specifically designed to maximise the amount of mixing so that the water is 

the same as background levels within tens of metres of where it is put back into the 

ocean due to the high quality water treatment that will be used. 

The management of waste water will be subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment 

and approval by the government via the Strategic Assessment process. 

Question ñ If there are any bilge and/or oil spills, how will these be managed? 

There are laws in place which detail the standard to which vessels and facilities are to be 

designed and maintained to minimise the risk of spills. 

To prevent spills, measures will be in place for all activities on vessels and for land based 

facilities during the construction and operation phases. This includes the use of leak 

detection equipment, procedures for refuelling and transfers. For onshore, and on the 

jetties, bunding is used to contain spills. Examples of bunding include concrete curbing 

and drainage systems around equipment and large linings covering the ground and 

around storage tanks which will hold the full volume of the storage tank. 

All vessels that enter the port will be compliant with the International Maritime 

Organisation requirements. The condensate (light oil) tankers and LNG carriers will be 

double hulled to minimise the risk of a spill even in the unlikely event of grounding. 

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The loading system for condensate is designed to minimise spills by having break away 

sections in the loading hose which are designed to shut in the condensate if there are 

problems with the hose. 

Although the possibility of spills is low, emergency spill response facilities will be provided 

by the Precinct proponents and an Oil Spill Contingency Plan will be in place to ensure 

that should an incident occur the spill will be managed so to minimise impacts to the 

environment. 

This initial oil spill response will be supported by a hierarchy of response systems and 

equipment. In particular the oil and gas industry jointly funds the Australian Marine Oil 

Spill Centre (AMOSC) which has a major stockpile of equipment based in Geelong 

(Victoria) and in Exmouth (WA). In addition there is the ability to access other spill 

response equipment in Singapore. 

This equipment is readily air transportable to provide a quick response time. Australiaís oil 

spill response is managed at the national level by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority 

under the National Plan to Combat Pollution of the Sea by Oil and other Noxious and 

Hazardous Substances (National Plan). 

Regular exercises will be undertaken by Woodside (and potentially other Precinct 

proponents) to ensure emergency response equipment and processes are tested. 

Water Supply 

Question ñ What amount of water will be used and where is it coming from? 

The foundational development is anticipated to use in the order of 2-4 gigalitres annually 

of fresh water where a steam system is utilised as part of the selected LNG technology. 

This would equate to 8-16 gigalitres annually for the whole precinct if a similar LNG 

technology was used by the other proponent/s. 

The freshwater is likely to come from either desalination of water from the Wallal aquifer 

or desalination of sea water. Desalination works by filtering sea water or brackish water 

(like that from the Wallal aquifer) through membranes to remove all small particles 

including salt. The resulting freshwater can be used for drinking, construction etc and the 

salty brine is discharged back into the sea. 

The Wallal aquifer is located approximately 200 metres (218 yards) below the ground and 

is slightly salty (around 2,500-3,500 parts per million salinity/salty water). This aquifer is 

separate to the shallower Broome aquifer that is suitable for general drinking without 

treatment. 

During construction it is possible that a temporary water supply will be required for 

construction prior to completion of the desalination system. It is likely that this will be 

from the Broome aquifer. 

In respect to the amount of ground water used, this will be in accordance with ground 

water licences and be subject to environmental impact assessment as part of the 

Strategic Assessment. 

5279225 75


Saline water from the desalination process will be discharged into the sea at a rate and a 

location where it can be shown that there will be minimal impact on the marine 

environment/saltwater country. 

Questions: 

� Can you please provide some more information on desalination? 

� How does the desalination process work? How does the process affect the 

sea? 

There are two different ways desalination of salty water can be achieved in order to get 

fresh water. This can be either by vacuum distillation (basically boiling water and 

condensing the steam to make fresh water) or via reverse osmosis where water is 

pumped to a very high pressure and pumped through a membrane with very small holes 

in it that lets the fresh water pass through but not the salt. 

Independent of the method used to produce the fresh water there will be a waste steam 

of salty water (called brine) that needs to be managed. This water has nothing extra 

added to it so if the water was extracted from the ocean, then the brine is just sea water, 

but it is twice as salty. This ëextraí salty water quickly mixes with the ocean and is diluted 

back to normal salt levels (typically within tens of metres of the outfall location where it is 

put back in the ocean). 

If the source water used is from the Wallal deep aquifer then less brine will be produced 

and the brine that is produced will be less salty (even less salty than the sea). This is 

because the Wallal water has much less salt in it (only one tenth of the salt that the ocean 

has). As a result, the brine from treatment of the Wallal is much easier than the 

management of the brine from sea water. If a fresh water source is used (e.g. shallow 

ground water) then there would be almost no brine to manage at all. 

5.7. General Issues 

Construction Materials Requirements 

Question - What construction materials/rock is required for foundations and other 

construction/Precinct needs and where will it be sourced from? 

The range of potential construction materials required for the civil and marine 

components of the project includes: rock for sub-sea pipeline stabilisation/protection 

works, armour and core for breakwater development, concrete aggregate for marine and 

plant structures, bulk fill materials for onshore earthworks, potable water resources and 

pavement materials for road construction. 

It is recognised that on the Dampier Peninsula, the availability of suitable materials for 

these purposes is likely to be limited and will require evaluation and negotiation with 

Traditional Owners and authorities. Although still to be assessed, possible locations in 

the Kimberley to source construction materials may include Nillibubbacca quarry and 

Cockatoo and/or Koolan Islands. 

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Construction Activities 

Question ñ How will Woodside build the plant? 

In general terms, key construction activities for the LNG Precinct may include: 

Activity Description 

Site preparation 

Road construction Roads around and within the LNG Precinct will need to be 

constructed and upgraded to support the development. 

Pioneer camp/facilities One of the first activities will be to create the pioneer facility 

to accommodate the workforce that will construct the 

construction camp and other facilities that are required early. 

Site clearing and 

levelling 

Storm water 

management 

Sourcing of fill - 

aggregate, road base 

etc. 

Onshore construction 

Transport of materials - 

terrestrial 

Transport of materials - 

marine (including 

modules) 

Foundations 

construction 

The area of the LNG facility and other supporting facilities 

will be levelled and cleared. This will require bulk earth 

works to get level areas and may also require activities to 

improve the foundations for the LNG plant. 

During construction storm water run off will require active 

management. 

Aggregates, road bases, etc. will need to be sourced and 

excavated for use within the LNG Precinct. 

Various materials will need to be transported via road to the 

LNG Precinct. This will include aggregates, supplies and 

equipment. 

The majority of the LNG facilities will be imported in the form 

of large modules by sea direct to the site via the materials 

offloading facility. 

Foundations will typically be constructed with concrete and 

will potentially include the use of piles due to the properties 

of pindan soils. Ground improvement will be required in 

some instances to support the foundation system. 

Tank construction The various tanks will be constructed on site utilising 

concrete and metal construction techniques. 

Plant construction (LNG 

and other) 

The majority of the LNG facilities will arrive as large 

modules. These will be transported from the integrated 

marine facility to their final location where they will be 

welded into place and the various services connected. 

5279225 77



Nearshore construction 

Dredging Dredging of the navigation channel, berth pockets and 

turning basins will be required. The spoil may be disposed of 

either onshore (for use as fill in the LNG Precinct) or by 

disposal at sea (in accordance with regulations). 

Export jetty The export jetty will require piling (likely to be via drilling) 

and construction of the deck. 

Breakwater A breakwater most likely using prefabricated concrete or 

rock may need to be constructed seaward of the berths. 

Final configuration will be a result of metocean and port 

studies. 

Integrated marine 

facility (IMF) 

Pipelines (product, MEG, CO2 etc) 

Installation of pipelines 

in state waters (3nm) 

The integrated marine facility is likely to be constructed via 

the use of dredging, fill, rocks and pre-cast concrete. This 

will be one of the earliest focus areas for construction to 

enable the import of material for the LNG Precinct. 

Pipelines will be laid via a pipelay vessel. Pipeline 

stabilisation is likely to require a combination of dredging, 

rock dumping and potentially stabilisation using pre-cast 

concrete plinths. 

Shore crossings The pipelines are likely to require a prepared area for the 

beach landing through to the LNG facility or onshore pipeline 

corridor depending on the finalised crossing location. The 

pipeline will be trenched and the crossing area rehabilitated 

following installation. 

Installation of pipelines 

onshore 

Supporting Infrastructure 

Onshore the pipelines will be buried in a pipeline corridor(s) 

through to the LNG facilities. 

Construction Camp The construction camp will require clearing, levelling, 

construction of supporting services and the various buildings 

required. 

Service Provider 

Facilities 

Clearing, levelling, fencing and construction of buildings, 

storage and hardstand areas as required by the various 

providers. 

Lay down area During construction cleared areas will be require for the 

temporary storage of various items of equipment prior to 

their installation. 

Crushing and screening Rock and aggregate obtained from onsite and offsite will 

need to be crushed and screened for use as aggregate and 

fill material. This will require a crushing and screening plant. 

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Fuel and chemical 

storage 

During construction a fuel and chemical storage area will be 

required. Where practicable these facilities will be retained 

for operations. 

Water supply During construction a water supply will be required both for 

potable and construction water. Depending on the quality 

required there are several sources of potential water supply, 

in order of preference, including surface aquifers, the 

confined Wallal aquifer and desalination of ocean water if 

these are not viable. Where practicable these facilities will 

also be used for operations. 

Waste water treatment A waste water treatment plant and associated outfalls will 

need to be developed for both the LNG facilities within the 

LNG Precinct and the operations and construction camp. 

Question ñ How many storage tanks will be built and how tall will they be? 

It is expected for the recinct that there will be up to that there will be up to 8-12 LNG 

Tanks and up to eight condensate tanks. This is for the maximum development in the 

Precinct of up to 50 million tonnes per annum. 

For the foundation proponentís initial development (three trains) there will be two to three 

LNG tanks and two condensate tanks. 

The height of LNG Tanks will be about 35-45 metres (115 to 150 feet). 

Heritage Protection 

Question - What are the clauses in legislation that give protection to heritage sites? 

Aboriginal heritage sites are protected under various parts of the Aboriginal Heritage Act 

1972 (WA) and the Commonwealth Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage 

Protection Act 1984. If sites are national heritage listed or nominated to be listed, they 

can also be protected under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity 

Conservation Act 1999. 

In relation to plants and animals that are important to Traditional Owners, the KLC are 

undertaking what is called an ethnobiology survey. This will record information about the 

importance of plants and animals in and around James Price Point from Traditional 

Ownersí perspective rather than from a western scientific perspective. In addition, there 

will be an opportunity to record plants and animals of importance during heritage surveys 

undertaken for the Precinct. Once the ethnobiology and heritage surveys have been 

completed we can look at including the management measures identified in 

environmental and cultural heritage management plans as included in the Heads of 

Agreement. 

5279225 79


Pearling Impacts 

A Fishing, Pearling and Aquaculture Impact Study Report is almost complete and will 

soon be made available to Traditional Owners. The report will ensure impacts on the 

pearling industry have been considered to allow the best possible management plans to 

be established. 

Wind/Weather Study 

Question - Will there be a wind study? 

The Australian Government has a number of meteorological stations throughout the 

Kimberley region, including one at Broome. Weather data has been obtained from these 

sources and will be utilised in the design of the plant and associated infrastructure. This 

will include a wind study. 

There is no historic meteorological data available at the James Price Point location and 

as a result a temporary meteorological tower will be built at the site for the purpose of 

collecting data over a 12 month period (minimum). 

Pipe Gas to Karratha 

Question - Why canít you pipe the gas to the Burrup? 

The gas could be piped to the Burrup and this option has been looked at in detail by the 

Browse Joint Venture. The Browse Joint Venture is considering locations for processing 

Browse Basin gas at either the Browse LNG Precinct or at Woodside operated facilities in 

Karratha and has not made a decision on the location. The State Government has a 

strong preference that the Browse gas go to the Kimberley. A Kimberley plant would be 

much closer to the Browse fields and to other gas in the Browse Basin. A Kimberley 

development would bring significant jobs and benefits to the region. The Burrup 

infrastructure will be needed for gas from fields much closer to the Burrup. 

Woodside also prefers that Browse gas go to the Kimberley although the Browse Joint 

Venture has yet to make a decision. A Kimberley development would produce the gas 

earlier and more efficiently and therefore bring more benefits to everyone involved. 

Broome Port Requirements 

Question - Is Woodside looking at Broome Port? Is Woodside looking at building a 

jetty at Broome Port? 

Woodside recently signed what is called an option agreement with the Broome Port 

Authority over 15 hectares of land at the port. Within three years of signing the option 

agreement, Woodside has to make a decision as to whether it will formally lease the land 

at Broome Port to support the development of the Browse gas fields. 

The Broome Port Authority is currently looking at building a second wharf at Broome Port 

to meet the growing needs of the users of the port, including the broader oil and gas 

industry. If the port proceeds with its second wharf, this will be for all users not just 

Woodside. 

5279225 80


Size of Gas Fields 

Question - How much gas is in the fields? 

The Browse Basin has proven reserves of 27.5 trillion cubic feet of gas and 600 million 

barrels of condensate along with probable gas reserves estimated at 60 trillion cubic feet 

making it comparable to the Stateís North West Shelf. As a comparison, WA consumes 

around 0.3 trillion cubic feet of gas per year. 

Woodside estimates that the Torosa, Brecknock and Calliance gas fields hold 

approximately 14 trillion cubic feet of recoverable dry gas and 370 million barrels of 

condensate. 

Chemicals 

Questions: 

� What chemicals are in Woodsideís gas from the Browse Basin? 

� What will the company do with these chemicals? 

� Is there mercury in Woodsideís gas?) 

An analysis of most naturally occurring resources will show traces of 'chemicals'. Many 

trace chemicals naturally occur at very low levels in hydrocarbon reserves, including the 

Browse Basin. Many of these trace ëchemicalsí are also found in the natural environment. 

Generally these trace ëchemicalsí will remain with the gas or condensate (light oil) and 

exported with these products. Some of these ëchemicalsí, such as mercury, are removed 

and managed in a safe manner. In the case of mercury it is sent for recycling and reuse. 

Carbon Dioxide 

Questions: 

� How much carbon dioxide is involved? 

� What will the company do with this carbon dioxide? 

� How will the company manage and reduce greenhouse gases? 

The management of broader greenhouse gas emissions is taken very seriously by 

industry. For example, this is demonstrated by the Woodside Greenhouse Gas Policy 

shown in Appendix 2. 

In producing LNG there are two major sources of carbon dioxide (CO2) which is the main 

greenhouse gas. 

The first major source of greenhouse gas emissions relates to the generation of power. 

Power is generated in a similar way to a gas fired power station like the one in Broome, 

but larger. The exact amount of CO2 will depend on the design of the LNG plant but 

would be less than 17 million tonnes of CO2 per annum for the production of 50 million 

tonnes of LNG per annum and less than 3.8 million tonnes of CO2 per annum for the 

production of 11 million tonnes of LNG per annum. 

5279225 81


The second major source of CO2 comes from the reservoir. The three hydrocarbon 

reserves (Brecknock, Calliance and Torosa) that form the basis for the Browse 

development have an average of every one in ten molecules being CO2 (10 mol%). This 

results in approximately 15 million tonnes of CO2 per annum for 50 million tonnes of LNG 

per annum and approximately 3.3 million tonnes of CO2 per annum for 11 million tonnes 

of LNG per annum. Typically this 'reservoir CO2' will be vented to the atmosphere. 

Woodside is investigating the option of reinjecting this CO2 back into a safe underground 

formation where the gas will be trapped. 

The plant will be designed to meet atmospheric emissions and discharge limits which 

protect the health and safety of the community and protect the natural environment. This 

will be a requirement of obtaining environmental approval and operating licences which 

must be in place prior to the commencement of construction. 

Safety, Security and Risk Management 

Questions: 

� What are the consequences of a gas leak in salt water? 

� What are the consequences of a gas leak onshore? 

A natural gas leak in salt water or onshore will primarily be a safety concern. The plant 

will be designated as a major hazard facility and is required to demonstrate that all safety 

risks are properly managed to low levels. The industry has mature and rigorous 

processes in place to identify and manage these risks to ensure that they are maintained 

at levels considered to be as low as reasonably practicable. 

Question ñ What kind of safety management system will be in place (e.g. 

monitoring)? 

The industry is committed to providing a safe workplace for its employees, contractors, 

suppliers and its neighbours. 

For example, Woodside believe that all incidents, occupational injuries and illnesses are 

preventable and are fully committed to achieving our health and safety aspiration of 'no 

one gets hurt, no incidents'. 

Additionally, Woodside has an Australian Standard compliant health, safety and integrity 

management system that is led by a qualified, experienced and competent team. 

Compliance with Woodsideís system is monitored through analysis of incidents and 

hazards, internal and external audits, feedback from senior personnel and a particularly 

important cultural survey involving all employees. In addition to this Woodside employs a 

variety of monitoring key performance indicators - some are lagging indicators such as 

total recordable incident frequency (TRIF) and others are leading indicators, for example 

training programmes and competency programs. 

All Woodside operated sites are also required to work under a safety case regime which 

has to be approved by regulators. Effective and proven health, safety and integrity 

management are the foundations to a safety case regime and require specific, 

measurable targets that are monitored throughout the year. A safety case provides the 

5279225 82


team, individuals and the whole site with a focus on the importance of effective health, 

safety and integrity. 

Question ñ What will be the impact of terrorism on the plantís security policies? 

There are inherent risks associated with the operation of any oil and gas facility, these 

include accidents. The plant will be designated as a major hazard facility and is required 

to demonstrate that all safety risks are properly managed to low levels. For example, 

Woodside has mature and rigorous processes in place to identify and manage these risks 

to ensure that they are maintained at levels considered to be as low as reasonably 

practicable. 

Security risks are yet to be identified through preliminary and confirmation security risk 

studies. Based on past examples though, major areas of industry concern have included: 

� Unauthorised entry of persons and items into plant; 

� Surveillance (from outside, or via internal penetration); 

� Blockage of shipping channels. 

Access to sites is through a controlled access point. This is to ensure the safety of those 

inside the plant and outside. The exact proximity restrictions will depend upon the design 

and layout of the plant and is based on risk assessments, computer modelling, 

environmental and topographical inputs as well as industry best practise. 

The security measures that will be employed will be based on the results of security risk 

studies and will comply with security legislation. Other similar installations have seen the 

use of security measures such as: 

� Perimeter fencing and intrusion detection systems around the site and critical areas; 

� Access control systems and procedures for vehicles and personnel; 

� Closed circuit TV (CCTV) systems for site safety and security monitoring; 

� On-site security guard force, for foot/vehicle patrol, as well as static post, first aid 

and response duties; 

� Visible and non-visible (infra-red) security lighting (latter used to reduce light spill); 

� Emergency response plans - for response to security or hazard generated incidents; 

� Exclusion zones around ship/shore interface areas (such as jetties); 

� Buffer zones around secured areas of an onshore LNG facility; and 

� Small patrol craft for water areas. 

� 

Details of security measures employed are required to remain confidential. 

Question ñ How will security personnel interact with members of the community? 

Security personnel will only be responsible for the fenced areas within the Precinct and 

the port area. Their role will be to manage access to the restricted area to ensure the 

safety of people and the facilities. 

5279225 83


Security personnel receive comprehensive training for their position and the locations in 

which the facilities operate. Their training highlights the need for appropriate, respectful 

interactions with all people they come into contact with. 

Security personnel are another layer of the health, safety and integrity process. Due to 

this, one of the facets to their responsibilities includes the safety of personnel which 

requires excellent communication skills and respect for local people and customs. As an 

integral part of this process, their duties are to ensure the security of the site and 

therefore to restrict access to unauthorised visitors which ensures the safety of all 

personnel. Industry are also open to receive any comments on how these duties are 

fulfilled and in the unlikely event of any problems. For example, Woodside have a robust 

system where issues can be raised with the site manager, independent of the security 

personnel. 

Question: 

What are the risks with the proposed LNG plant? How will the company deal with 

them? 

Management of risk is a key focus of the LNG industryís business. For example, to 

manage risk Woodside has a management process that considers a whole range of risks 

that occur in the industry. Risks can be classed in to many categories including: health 

and safety; environment; financial; reputation; legal; and social. Once a risk is identified it 

is assessed (based on the likelihood and consequence) and management measures put 

in place. The severity of the risk will determine who is responsible for the risk. The high 

level risks are presented to the Woodside Board for review. 

Question: 

Did the company have a fire last year and has Woodside had any safety incidents 

at its facilities? 

The State has consulted with Woodside on this question and can summarise the 

response as follows: 

Woodside has more than 20 years experience in LNG plant design and operations. The 

Browse project employs experienced specialist in LNG facility design and seeks the 

expertise of international contractors who have built LNG plants around the world. 

The health and safety of Woodsideís people comes first in all decisions and actions. 

Woodsideís goal is ìno one gets hurt, no incidentsî and the company aspires to be 

recognised, by their employees and peers, as an industry leader in the management of 

health and safety. 

To achieve this outcome Woodside pursue three layers of protection to reduce the 

potential for injuries and incidents: 

� Plant ñ design, engineering hardware, control systems, physical layouts 

� Process ñ management systems and process to identify, control and mitigate risks 

and drive continuous operational improvement 

5279225 84


� People ñ capability in terms of leadership skills, relevant knowledge and experience, 

and the organisational culture they create 

Woodside believe that injuries and incidents are unacceptable and are striving to improve 

performance by focusing on delivering six health and safety imperatives: 

� Select and manage principal contractors in line with Woodside values and 

commitment to deliver outstanding Health and Safety performance 

� Embed deeply ëOur Safety Cultureí 

� Understand and control major accident events and major health hazards through the 

asset life cycle 

� Understand and control occupational health risks 

� Health and Safety and integrity processes, standards, procedures and rules are 

understood and applied as intended 

� Improve learning and communicating lessons from incidents and warning signs to 

avoid repeat incidents 

In the event of an incident occurring, Woodside responds by immediately taking action to 

prevent escalation and make the site safe. Incidents are reported in a timely manner, 

classified according to a Woodside matrix and then investigated to identify root causes. 

Corrective actions are determined and then implemented to prevent recurrence. 

Incidents and their learningísí are communicated to the workforce and major 

investigations are reviewed by senior management. 

Question: 

If there was a tsunami or earthquake, what would the consequences of that be? 

Earthquake and tsunami impact are design cases for the LNG plant. Once a site is 

selected a seismic (and tsunami) assessment will be carried out to determine the 

likelihood and consequences of these natural events and a design case will be selected 

to appropriately manage the risk. 

The land elevation at James Price Point is some 15 metres above sea level, which is the 

recommended height to protect the facility against possible tsunami events. 

Consequently a tsunami is unlikely to have a significant effect. 

Question: 

If the plant it built incorrectly, how quickly can the mistake be corrected? 

The foundation proponent, Woodside, is an experienced operator of LNG facilities which 

includes five operating trains in Karratha as well as a train under construction for the 

Pluto project. In addition Woodside is actively planning and designing new LNG trains for 

the Pluto, Browse and Sunrise projects. This experience combined with the 

internationally recognised joint venturers and contractors involved should minimise any 

impact. However there are LNG developments that have had delays due to technical 

problems. These problems are typically resolved in under a year and rarely do they take 

longer than two years to resolve. 

5279225 85


Question: 

What kinds of insurance are there in case of an accident? 

There are three main phases for insurance which are consistent with project phases and 

provide coverage during the exploration and appraisal, construction and the 

production/operational phases of the project. 

At each of the phases the proponents will need to take out insurance (or self insurance) 

which will provide coverage for all key risks. 

The insurance amounts are substantial and vary according to the relevant phase of the 

project. 

Financial and Company Information 

Questions: 

� What are the finances of a typical LNG business? 

� What information on finances will the company give Traditional Owners and 

when? 

Due to commercial confidentiality it is not possible to release details of any funding 

arrangements that companies may have or consider to enter into, to finance 

developments within the proposed LNG Precinct. 

However, financial information on proponents can be found in the respective companyís 

annual report. 

Question - Will Woodside set up new companies for this project? 

The State has consulted with Woodside on this question and can summarise the 

response as follows: 

Woodside has not yet decided whether it will need to set up any new companies in 

relation to the Browse LNG Development. If it does, they will be subsidiaries of/linked to 

the parent company, Woodside Petroleum Limited. 

Questions: 

� Which entity is going to operate the LNG plant? 

� Will there be any joint ventures? Which companies would be in such a joint 

venture? 

Permits associated with the Browse LNG Development include WA-R-2; WA-TR-5; WA- 

28-R; WA-29R; WA-30-R; WA-31-R; WA-32-R. 

Woodside is foundation proponent for the Precinct and is operator of the Browse LNG 

Development which includes permits (WA-R-2; WA-TR-5; WA-28-R; WA-29R; WA-30-R; 

5279225 86


WA-31-R; WA-32-R). BHP Billiton, BP, Chevron and Shell are the joint venture 

participants. 

Personnel and Management 

Question ñ What kinds of staff will the company employ? 

The peak construction workforce for the foundation proponentís initial development (i.e. 

up to 3 trains) at the Precinct could be expected to be between approximately 2,500- 

3,500 people. Final numbers will be dependent on facility size, phasing of facilities (e.g. 

one LNG train at a time or multiple at once), degree of concurrent construction and if 

other proponents are building facilities simultaneously. 

The size of operational workforce will in part depend on how many proponents end up 

operating within the Precinct. However, the core operations workforce required for dayto-day 

operation of the initial development (i.e. up to three trains) within the Precinct 

could be expected to be between 300 and 500 people. During the operational life of the 

project the facility will be operated on a 24 hour a day, seven days a week basis 

excluding planned shutdown periods. During planned major maintenance and 

turnarounds and influx of shutdown personnel will occur with an estimated total workforce 

of up to 900 people for up to 1 month duration. 

Typical employment opportunities during the construction phase of an LNG facility with 

the proponentís contractors would include: 

� Tradesperson roles ñ labourers, steel fixers, electricians, carpenters, riggers, 

mechanical fitters, welders; 

� Professional ñ Accountants, human resource managers and assistants, community 

relations advisers, engineers, safety advisors, geologists, maintenance technicians; 

� Site preparation/temporary facilities ñ operators/Labourers, grano workers/concrete 

finishers, steel fixers, carpenters, electricians; 

� Civils - operators/labourers, grano workers, steel fixers, carpenters, electricians and 

support trades; 

� LNG/condensate tanks ñ operators/labourers, grano workers/concrete finishers, steel 

fixers, carpenters, electricians, welders, riggers, pipe fitters, plasterers/boilermakers, 


� Jetty ñ operators/labourers, grano workers/concrete finishers, steel fixers, carpenters, 

electricians, welders, riggers, pipe fitters, plasterers/boilermakers, support trades; 

� Mechanical ñ mechanical fitters, welders, riggers, pipe fitters, platers/boilermakers, 


� Electrical & instrumental ñ electricians, installation technicians, installation pipe 

fitters, support trades; 

� Insulation & painting ñ welders, riggers, pipe fitters, plasterers/boilermakers, 

mechanical fitters, support trades; 

5279225 87


� Camp construction ñ operators, labourers, carpenters, electricians, communication 

technicians, plumbers concreters, landscaping; 

� Supply base ñ operators, labourers, steel fixers, carpenters, electricians, support 

trades; 

� Catering & facilities management ñ chefs/cooks, kitchen hands, room cleaners, site 

clerks, assistant site manager, gardeners and security staff. 

During the operations phase for both an LNG facility and supply base, the indicative 

employment opportunities with the proponents are outlined below: 

LNG Plant Operations Phase 

Category 

(no of required staff) 

Operations 

(approximately 110) 

Maintenance 


Engineering 


Business Support 


Trade Type 

Process Operators Traineeship ñ specialist 

Electrical Technicians 

Instrument Technicians 

Mechanical Technicians 

Electrical 

Process (Chemical) 

Control 

Rotating Equipment 

Project Engineer 

Information Technology 

Human Resources 

Corporate Affairs 

Environmental Scientists 

Laboratory 

Electrician ñ specialist - 

I & E trades ñ specialist 

Mechanical trades - specialist 

Engineer ñ specialist 





IT Technician ñ specialist 

HR specialist 

CA specialist 

ES specialist 

Laboratory technician 

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Supply Base Operational Phase 

Stage/Project Type of Work Qualification/Experience Level 

Administration Manager 

Services 

Contracts 

Business Support 

Officer 

Admin Assistant 

(Finance) 


(Technical) 


Maintenance 

Coordinator 

Planner 

Building Maintenance 

Landscaping 

Local Area Transport 

Machinery/Equipment 

Maintenance 

Supplementary labour 

hire 

Operations Warehouse 

Coordinator 

Questions: 

Warehouse & Logistics 

� How will the employees be managed? 

Management/Business 

Business Administration 

Administration, Finance 

Administration, Technical 

Business Administration 

Supply, Maintenance, Ports 

Planning 

Trade Certificate 

Horticulture 

Drivers Licence 

Trade Certificate 

General Construction 

Wharf/Ports, Marine 

Transport & Distribution 

Cert III & IV 

Cert III & IV 

Cert II & III 

Cert I & II 

Cert IV 

Cert II & III 

LR Licence 

Cert IV 

Cert I & II 

Cert II & III 

� What control will the company have over workers when they are not working? 

In general, proponents can put management measures in place to control the conduct of 

workers through the contracts it has in place for construction as well as the individual 

contracts it has in place with direct employees. 

Construction 

The vast majority of the construction workforce is likely to be fly-in, fly-out and 

accommodated within a dedicated camp. Some workers may be drawn from the existing 

Broome labour force but in the absence of skills profile information being available for the 

region in the first instance, this is difficult to comment on at this stage. Typically it is only 

once the various contractors are appointed for construction phase packages that the 

project proponent will have a better idea of where workers are likely to be sourced from. 

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In general however, it is anticipated that all fly-in, fly-out workers, with the exception of 

day workers, will be housed in a fully serviced construction camp. Access to the 

surrounding environment external to the site facility by personnel will be limited to 

environmental monitoring and emergency response. Uncontrolled recreational use to 

external areas will be restricted for site personnel. It is anticipated that workers (including 

day workers) will be transported to and from the site. This will be done to minimise traffic 

to and from the site as well as a fatigue management strategy. 

At this stage, the construction camp facilities are expected to include: 

� Individual serviced rooms for personnel; 

� Catering services within a common canteen; 

� Wet mess; 

� Recreational facilities such as a gym, swimming pool, sporting field and 

entertainment rooms; 

� Medical centre; 

� Laundry; and 

� A shop. 

Operations 

The operational phase at the Precinct is also likely to be predominantly fly-in, fly-out at 

the commencement of operations. However, this may change over time. It is also likely 

that a proportion of the workforce will comprise of a day worker contingent, transported to 

site by bus, with opportunities for some of these positions to be filled locally. Subject to 

health and safety reasons, some of these locally filled positions may need to be based at 

the site accommodation facilities according to the shift rotation for fly-in, fly-out workers, 

i.e. they may not be transported by bus to and from site on a daily basis. 

Whilst no final decisions have been made at this point in time, it is unlikely that the 

foundation proponent will seek to build/own houses in Broome for residential workers, in 

particular those that are required to relocate to Broome. 

During the operations phase the workforce will be housed within the permanent 

accommodation facilities near the LNG Precinct. These facilities will incorporate all 

catering, cleaning and recreational requirements. 

Access to the surrounding environment external to the site facility by personnel will be 

limited to environmental monitoring and emergency response. Uncontrolled recreational 

use to external areas will be restricted for site personnel. It is anticipated that workers 

(including day workers) will be transported to and from the site. This will be done to 

minimise traffic to and from the site as well as a fatigue management strategy. 

Management Plans 

Questions: 

� What kinds of management plans are there? 

� Are there different management plans for different seasons? 

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� What say will Traditional Owners have in creating management plans? 

With reference to the commitments under the Heads of Agreement that will be formalised 

in the Indigenous Land Use Agreement, Woodside will be required to develop 

management plans to be agreed with the State, the KLC and Traditional Owners dealing 

with the following matters: 

� Cultural heritage; 

� Environment; 

� Training and employment; and 

� Business development and contracting. 

Under the Heads of Agreement, Woodside has also committed to the establishment of 

and LNG Management Committee which will be made up of representatives of the State, 

Traditional Owners, Woodside and any other proponents. The Committee would monitor 

compliance with commitments in the management plans and the broader ILUA. 

Typically there arenít separate management plans for different seasons but if there are 

different measures to be considered due to the different seasons, these can be included 

in the relevant management plan. 

Policies and Indigenous Communities 

Questions: 

What are Woodsideís policies that relate to Aboriginal People (concerning, e.g. 

culture, training and employment)? 

Has Woodside had experience working with other Indigenous people? 

Has Woodside had experience with Indigenous people who have strong culture? 

What happened? 

How will Woodside do things differently from what it did with rock art in the 

Burrup? 

These questions are all specific to Woodside and the company has provided the following 

response: 

The key Woodside policy relating to Aboriginal people is the Indigenous Communities 

Policy. A copy of this policy is included as Appendix 2. 

Woodside works with Indigenous people in the Pilbara region of Western Australia 

through both the Karratha Gas Plant and the Pluto operations located in the Pilbara. 

Woodside also has further interaction with other groups that live in proximity to Woodside 

developments throughout Australia. 

Woodside has a range of staff with experience working with Indigenous people 

throughout Australia. An example of Woodside working with Indigenous people with 

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strong culture includes the ongoing work with the Pilbara Indigenous groups in the areas 

of: 

� Cultural heritage management; 

� Cross cultural awareness training; 

� Contracting and business development; 

� Employment and training; and 

� Community projects. 

In relation to cultural heritage management for the Browse LNG Precinct, the State and 

Woodside, in line with the commitments in the Heads of Agreement will work with 

Traditional Owners and the KLC to design, construct, operate, decommission and 

rehabilitate the Precinct in a manner that where possible avoids impacts to Aboriginal 

sites or minimises any impacts on Aboriginal sites in accordance with relevant 

agreements and management plans. 

Miscellaneous 

Questions: 

� How long will the gas plant be there? 

The Browse LNG Precinct (in terms of construction, operation and decommissioning) will 

have a finite life of between approximately 30 to 99 years. 

� What is Woodsideís timeline and why? 

The timeline for any development will be determined by the respective joint venture. For 

illustrative purposes, for the Browse Joint Venture to make a Final Investment Decision 

(FID) as early as late 2011, the following things need to happen: 

� End 2009 ñ key terms of Indigenous Land Use Agreement settled; 

� Early 2010 ñ commence Basis of Design; 

� Early 2010 ñ Indigenous Land Use Agreement signed; 

� Mid 2010 ñ Strategic Assessment approval for the Browse LNG Precinct; 

� Early 2011 ñ commence Front End Engineering Design; 

� Early 2011 ñ commence site works. 

There is a positive outlook for the LNG market and one of the Browse Joint Venturers, 

Woodside, has Key Terms Agreements in place to sell Browse gas to PetroChina and 

CPC of Taiwan. This provides momentum for the project to proceed. Demand for LNG is 

strong and will continue to grow particularly as countries round the world look to generate 

electricity from more greenhouse friendly forms of energy. In addition, there is strong 

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support in place from the State and Commonwealth governments to ensure the Browse 

LNG Precinct proceeds based on the current timeline. 

Development at the Kimberley is important for the nation and the State of Western 

Australia, bringing employment, export contracts, regional development and the 

economic empowerment of the Kimberley indigenous community. 

With respect to the long term project timeline, the construction period for an initial 

foundation development (up to 3 trains) is anticipated to take 4 to 5 years with operations 

starting for the first LNG train likely to occur approximately 1 year before the overall 

completion of construction. Key timeframes for an initial foundation development are 

outlined below: 

Project Phases Timeline 

Phase I: Commencement of 

construction of pioneer facilities, 

infrastructure preparations 

Phase II: Construction of LNG 

Precinct facilities for first 

proponent (Typical LNG project) 

Phase III: Operation (Typical LNG 

project) 

Phase IV: Decommissioning 

(Typical LNG project) 

Early 2011 

Earliest 3-12 months after Phase I 

Earliest 4-5 years after commencement of 

Phase II 

~30-40+ years after commencement of 

Phase III 

Further expansion beyond the initial foundation development will depend on the gas 

available and market/commercial forces with respect to timing. Any future construction for 

expansion will occur at the same time as operations. 

6. Definitions/Commonly Used Terms 

Preliminary ñ means early or first views on how things may look for the Browse LNG 


Master Plan ñ The Master Plan is a document being put together by an engineering 

company called WorleyParsons for the Department of State Development. In the Master 

Plan, WorleyParsons will set out the layout for the Browse LNG Precinct once the site at 

James Price Point has been decided and the layout has been agreed with Traditional 

Owners. It will also describe the shared areas in the Precinct including: 

� The LNG processing plant(s); 

� The port and marine facilities; 

� Light industrial area; 

� Workforce accommodation; and 

� Regional services upgrade required to support the Precinct e.g. roads 

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Formatte


The Master Plan is an important document as it will describe the Browse LNG Precinct. 

Heads of Agreement ñ The Heads of Agreement is an agreement that was signed on 

21 April 2009 by the State of Western Australia (Premier Colin Barnett), Woodside (Chief 

Executive Officer Don Voelte) and the Kimberley Land Council (Chief Executive Director 

Wayne Bergmann). The KLC signed the agreement on behalf of the Goolarabooloo / 

Jabirr Jabirr native title claimants. 

The Heads of Agreement is basically a broad agreement that sets out the commitments 

of the State, Woodside and the KLC in relation to negotiating more detailed Indigenous 

Land Use Agreements for the Browse LNG Precinct. 

Joint venturers ñ Joint venturers means other companies that have part ownership 

rights to develop the gas fields that may supply LNG facilities at the Browse LNG 


In the case of the Browse LNG Development, the joint venturers are Woodside, BHP 

Billiton, Chevron, Shell and BP. Woodside is operator of the Browse LNG Development 

and undertakes the day to day operations on behalf of the joint venturers. 

Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) Agreement ñ Put simply, an Indigenous Land 

Use Agreement is an agreement between a native title group and others (which may 

include the State and proponent(s) about the use and management of land and waters 

where native title rights and interest may exist. 

The terms Indigenous Land Use Agreement is defined under the Native Title Act 1993 

(Cth). There are three different types of Indigenous Land Use Agreements under the 

Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) ñ Area, Prescribed Body Corporate and Alternative 

Procedures. The type of Indigenous Land Use Agreement to be used depends on what 

the agreement is about and who it is between. 

In the case of the Browse LNG Precinct, the broad commitments in the Heads of 

Agreement will be negotiated in more detail and turned into one or more Indigenous Land 

Use Agreements between the State, Woodside, the KLC and Traditional Owners. 

The Indigenous Land Use Agreements, once settled, will exist of the life of the 

Precinct/Browse LNG Development and will be registered with the National Native Title 

Tribunal. 

Light industrial area ñ Is an area of 200 hectares set out in the Heads of Agreement to 

be located in or near the LNG Precinct. 

The area will be utilised by companies/contractors that will be providing goods and 

services to the LNG plants. 

Examples of businesses that may use the light industrial area include: 

� Scaffolding yard; 

� Crane and equipment hire; 

� Warehouses; 

� Light fabrication/welding yards; and 

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� Transport companies. 

Buffer zone ñ An area of land specifically designed to separate one type of land use 

from another. 

In the case of the Browse LNG Precinct there are 2 types of buffer zones: 

� An industrial buffer zone 2 kilometres from the fence line which means other 

industrial plants canít be built there; 

� A sensitive land use buffer 3 kilometres from the fence line of the LNG Precinct 

which means that permanent houses, residences, schools, tourist facility canít be 

built in that area, but a light industrial area could be built. 

Shipping channel ñ this is narrow strip of ocean where the sea floor has been dug out to 

make it deeper (at low tide) so that a ship can safely travel to and away from a port. It is 

basically like a driveway for a ship to get into the port or to a jetty. The channel is marked 

out with buoys. 

Ship turning basin ñ when a ship travels down the shipping channel towards the jetty 

they are going forwards, LNG tankers cannot reverse so before they pull up alongside the 

jetty they need to turn around to face the way they will leave (back out through the 

shipping channel). Because of this at the end of the shipping channel there needs to be 

a big circle of deep water (the same depth as the shipping channel) where the ship can 

turn around. 

Materials Offloading Facility (MOF) ñ this is a bit like a small dock (like the one you 

might see in Fremantle). It is a platform that crosses the shore from land to water which 

means that ships can come right up to the edge and unload materials, building supplies 

and equipment. Trucks can get up close to the ships so that the materials can be 

unloaded straight from the ship to the truck. 

Seagrass beds ñ areas of the sea floor that have seagrass growing on them. Seagrass 

is a plant that looks a bit like small bits of lettuce or spinach that grows from the sea floor 

in shallow water. 

Vine thickets ñ patches or areas of plants and trees on the Dampier Peninsula that 

include rainforest plants and fruit and berry trees. This is also the place where old 

gubinge plants can be found. These thickets also have several animals living in them, for 

example bats. 

Proponent ñ A proponent is a company or group of companies/joint venture that want to 

build and LNG plant in the Browse LNG Precinct. The Precinct is intended to allow for 

more than one LNG proponent. 

Precinct ñ means the proposed hydrocarbon processing facility, identified in the 

agreement between the Commonwealth and the State under section 146(1) of the 

Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) and includes the 

land and waters required for the Precinct, port facilities, marine areas and all land and 

waters necessary for ancillary and support infrastructure (which includes areas of 

accommodation and also for a light industrial area, both located away from the 

hydrocarbon processing area of the Precinct), roads, buffer zones and all other 

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infrastructure and land/water use associated with the hydrocarbon processing facility in 

the vicinity of James Price Point. 

Foundation proponent ñ The foundation proponent is the first company or group of 

companies/joint venture that wants to build and LNG plant in the Browse LNG Precinct. 

Woodside as an operator has reached agreement with the State that it will be the 

foundation proponent for the Browse LNG Precinct. 

Heritage Protection Agreement (HPA) ñ A Heritage Protection Agreement has been 

negotiated between the State, Woodside and the Kimberley Land Council. 

The agreement covers the heritage protection and survey requirements for studies to be 

done in relation to the LNG Precinct as well as the layout of the Browse LNG Precinct and 

the LNG plants within the Precinct (including the marine facilities). 

Sensitive land use ñ see buffer zone. 

Dredging ñ digging up the sea bed to make an area deeper. 

Blasting ñ blowing up hard surfaces or rock so that it can be taken away and that area 

can be dug up or excavated. 

Export jetties ñ this is a long structure built from the shore out into the water so that 

tankers can come up beside it and be filled with LNG, LPG or condensate for export. 

Nothing is unloaded onto this jetty it is only used to load products into tankers for export 

to customers. 

Turbidity levels ñ the muddiness or cloudiness of the water. 

Suspended sediment ñ little bits of mud or other matter that are in the water that can 

make it muddy or cloudy. 

Wave cut platform - a flat area caused by the waves hitting a cliff and wearing away the 

rock. You often see this at the base of a sea cliff. 

LNG - so that gas can been shipped to customers, it has to be cooled down from gas to a 

liquid. This is called liquefied natural gas (LNG). 

LNG train ñ the liquefaction of natural gas to form LNG is carried out in a refrigeration 

unit that has four main elements in the cooling cycle ñ a compressor, a condenser, a 

pressure-expansion valve and an evaporator. A single liquefaction unit is called a train, 

and works like a giant fridge. An LNG plant may comprise just one train, or several trains 

arranged side by side each doing exactly the same liquefaction task. 

Dominant wave climate ñ this is a term that refers to the way waves come into the shore 

most of the time. It includes the direction they come from, how much time is between 

each wave and how high they usually are. 

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Appendix 1: Relative areas 

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1000 

Hectares 

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Haynes Oval or Male Oval


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Appendix 2: Example of industry policies (Woodside) 

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Appendix 3: Review of World LNG Plants 

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Table 1: Distance Between LNG Trains, Tanks and Ship Loading Point 

LNG Plant Location 

Pipeline length 

LNG Train to Storage Tank Storage Tank to Ship 

Loading Point 

James Price Point 1,100 metres (around 0.7 of 4,500 metres (around 2.8 

(Southern Option 1) a mile) 

miles) 

Adgas LNG (UAE) 100 metres (less than 0.1 of 

900 metres (0.6 of a mile) 

a mile or 109 yards) 

Alantic LNG 90 metres (less than 0.1 of 

1,350 metres (0.8 of a mile) 


Algeria LNG 175 metres (around 0.1 of a 530 metres (0.3 or a mile or 

mile or 191 yards) 

580 yards) 

Arun LNG (Indonesia) 200 metres (just over 0.1 of a 

2,310 metres (1.4 miles) 


Bontang LNG (Indonesia) 150 metres (around 0.1 of a 

800 metres (half a mile) 


(expansion: 1,000 metres ñ 

(expansion: 2,000 metres ñ 

0.6 of a mile) 

1.2 miles) 

Brunei LNG 250 metres (0.15 of a mile or 

4700 metres (2.9 miles) 

273 yards) 

Damietta LNG (Egypt) 170 metres (around 0.1 or a 200metres (just over 0.1 of a 



Darwin LNG 340 metres (0.2 of a mile or 


372 yards) 

EG LNG 

Guinea) 

(Equatorial 100 metres (less than 0.1 of 



Egypt LNG 240 metres (around 0.15 of a 



Kenai LNG (Alaska) 50 metres (less than 0.1 of a 570 metres (0.4 of a mile or 


623 yards) 

Malaysia LNG 2 ,150 metres (1.3 miles) 1,650 metres (1 mile) 

Marsa 

(Libya) 

El Brega LNG 250 metres (0.15 of a mile or 


273 yards) 

Nigeria LNG 250 metres (0.15 of a mile or 


273 yards) 

North West Shelf LNG 350 metres (0.2 of a mile or 

1,400 metres (0.9 of a mile 

383 yards) 

Oman LNG 150 metres (less than 0.1 of 720 metres (0.4 of a mile or 

a mile or 164 yards) 787 yards) 

Pluto LNG 1,500 metres (0.9 of a mile 


or 1,640 yards) 

Qatargas (Qatar) 2,200 metres (1.4 miles) 2, 500 m (1.6 miles) 

Ras Gas (expansion of 

4,800 metres (3 miles) 

Qatargas, Qatar) 


Sakhalin (Russia) 300 metres (0.2 of a mile or 

1,100 m (0.7 of a mile) 

328 yards) 

Snohvit LNG (Norway) 150 metres (around 0.1 of a 320 metres (0.2 of a mile or 


350 yards) 

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