Scotia gas field

The Scotia gas field in the Bowen Basin area of Queensland is located 340 kilometres north west of Brisbane and 145 kilometres north east of Roma. It covers an area of approximately 213 square kilometres.

The Scotia Gas Field led the way in Methane gas Development in Queensland

Santos Limited drilled the Scotia 3 discovery well in 1996, it was the first†well drilled to test the coal seam gas in the area. Commercial production of Scotia gas field's coal seam methane gas began in 2002, this gas was sold to a CS Energy gas fired power station under a 15 year contract.

Scotia Gas Field Methane is Processed on Site

The Scotia gas field consists of 25 connected wells that link to the one central processing facility. The processing plant separates water from the gas by means of glycol dehydration and four stage compression. The processed gas is then transported by the 111 kilometre Scotia ñ Peat pipeline that links with the Roma to Brisbane pipeline, 116 kilometres east of Wallumbilla.

Scotia Gas Field is Wholly Owned by Santos Limited

Santos Limited has been an Australian energy pioneering company since 1954. It is Australia's largest producer of gas supplying the domestic market and controls Australia's largest exploration and production acreage. It is currently involved in preparing for exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) out Curtis Island near Gladstone.

Santos GLNG and Australia Pacific LNG Agree to Share Pipeline Infrastructure

In October 2013 Santos GLNG (GladstoneLNG) announced it had signed a 'gas swap' and connection deal with Australia Pacific LNG to link the gas supply from their separate projects in the Surat Basin to feed into the one LNG plant being constructed on Curtis Island. The first pipeline to accommodate joint usage has been set up at Fairview and the second at the Scotia gas field. The agreement reached between the two companies eliminates the need to build 140 kilometres of pipelines along the way with all the necessary connections and compressor stations to get the gas to the Curtis Island LNG facility. The first LNG shipment is expected to leave the Curtis Island facility in 2015. Santos GLNG in a joint venture partnership involving Santos, Petronas, Total and Kogas. Australia Pacific LNG is a joint venture company owned by Origin Energy, Conoco Phillips and Sinopec.

Queensland holds the largest reserves of coal seam gas in Australia in the Surat and Bowen Basins. These reserves are sufficient to supply Australia's growing demand as well as supply the LNG export market for many years into the future. At the present time around 20 percent of natural gas being used in Australia originates as coal seam gas. In Queensland it is around 70 percent.

Coal seam gas is methane natural gas taken from coal seams at low pressure, it is different from the more conventional natural gas that is derived from sandstone usually at far greater depths and at a much higher pressure.

Coal seam methane gas requires little processing apart from having to remove liquids and carbon dioxide. It is naturally formed under the same process that creates coal, with its formation taking millions of years to develop. The methane gas that accompanies coal is trapped underground by water and over-laying rocks. The gas is contained in the many fractures†of the coal seam as well as in many large internal areas. The amount of gas available is dependent on the size of the coal seam, particularly its depth and thickness.