Application for revocation of coverage of the Tubridgi Pipeline and Griffin Pipeline

Tubridgi Pipeline (PL 16) and Griffin Pipeline (PL 19): Applications for revocation of coverage under the Gas Code by BHP Petroleum (Ashmore Operations) Pty Ltd.

On 4 November 2005, the Council received applications from BHP Petroleum (Ashmore Operations) Pty Ltd (BHPPAO) seeking revocation of coverage under the National Third Party Access Code for Natural Gas Pipeline Systems (the Gas Code) of the Tubridgi Pipeline and the Griffin Pipeline. The pipelines are owned and operated by BHPPAO.

The Tubridgi and Griffin pipelines are located on the flood plain of the Ashburton River, 25km south of Onslow in Western Australia. Both pipelines are about 87km in length and run parallel from the Tubridgi gas processing facility to Compressor Station 2 on the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline.

The pipelines were covered under schedule A of the Gas Code. The Gas Code enables parties to apply to the Council to revoke coverage of a pipeline. If revocation is granted, the pipeline owner is not required to submit an access arrangement to (in this case) the Economic Regulation Authority (WA) and third parties will no longer be able to seek access under the Gas Code to transport gas through those pipelines.

The Gas Code required the Council to conduct a public consultation process, issue a draft recommendation followed by another round of public consultation, prior to making its final recommendation to the relevant decision maker. The Gas Code set out a timetable for completion of this process. The Council must consider whether the pipelines met the coverage criteria in section 1.9 of the Code. In order to do this, the Council sought submissions on the application and the Council's draft recommendation from interested parties.

On 28 February 2006 the Council forwarded its final recommendation to the decision maker, the Hon Francis Logan, MLA, Minister for Energy (Western Australia). The final recommendation was that coverage of the Tubridgi and Griffin pipelines be revoked. On 3 April 2006 the Hon Francis Logan released his decision that the Tubridgi and Griffin pipelines should be revoked from coverage under the Gas Code.

The applications (combined in one document), a map of the pipelines, the final recommendation, Minister's decision and all submissions are available for download via the relevant tabs on the left-hand panel.