Australia is expected to witness 118 oil and gas projects commencing their operations across the value chain during 2021-2025, according to GlobalData. New-build projects are expected to comprise around 74 per cent of the total starts across the value chain.

GlobalData’s Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Projects Outlook to 2025 – Development Stage, Capacity, Capex and Contractor Details of All New Build and Expansion Projects report, reveals that of the 118 projects during the outlook period, 56 would be midstream projects, 53 would be upstream projects and 9 would be petrochemical projects.

Oil & Gas Analyst at GlobalData, Teja Pappoppula, commented: “Australia is heavily focusing on natural gas production, transportation and export projects to reinforce its position as one of the leading global exporters of LNG. The investments also help the country to meet the growing gas demand in the country.”

In the upstream (fields) segment, GlobalData expects 53 projects to start operations in Australia from 2021 to 2025. Natural gas projects dominate the upcoming projects count, accounting for about 55 per cent of the total projects. Some of the notable projects include Barossa, a shallow water conventional gas field which is presently in the construction stage and expected to start operations by 2025.

Midstream projects constitute around 47 per cent of all oil and gas projects in Australia by 2025. Pipeline projects constitute the bulk of the upcoming midstream projects with the Amadeus Basin–Moomba gas pipeline being one of the key projects with a length of 950 kilometres (km). The project is presently in FEED stage and is expected to start operations by 2024.

Among the upcoming petrochemical projects in Australia by 2025, Leigh Creek Energy’s Leigh Creek Urea Plant, and Perdaman Chemicals and Fertilisers’ Karratha Urea Plant are the key petrochemical projects during the period, each with a capacity of 2 million tonnes per annum (mtpa). Both projects have been approved and are expected to start operations by 2024.