Mondarra study proposal floated

A plan to expand the Mondarra gas storage facility will receive another airing after Western Power agreed to co-fund a feasibility study of the facility’s expansion.

Australian Pipeline Trust, the owner of the Mondarra facility north of Perth and attached to the Parmelia Pipeline, is keen to create an additional gas storage well at the facility and additional gas compression and processing facilities.

APT bought Mondarra, a depleted gas reservoir, from CMS Energy earlier this year.

It is understood Western Power is putting about $500,000 towards the feasibility study but has not committed to any works beyond that.

Mondarra was touted as a possible short-term reservoir following the gas shortages that led to the electricity crisis in Perth in February this year.

A restriction in the amount of gas that could be sent down the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline in the midst of a series of very hot days caused Western Power to call for restrictions of electricity use on the State’s main power grid.

One estimate was that a spend of $10 million would buy a permanent stand-by facility for the 2004-05 summer with enough gas to cope with even a month-long heatwave.

Mondarra has the capability to deliver up to 160 terajoules of gas a day through the Parmelia Pipeline.

That has been estimated to be enough to produce more than 500 megawatts of electricity.

A Western Power spokesman said the Parmelia Pipeline was currently delivering about 60 terajoules a day and suggested works could bring it up to about 120 terajoules a day.

He said Western Power was not the only customer of the Parmelia Pipeline.

“We run about six to seven terajoules a day through the Parmelia line,” the spokesman said.

That gas goes to Western Power’s Kwinana power station where it is mixed with gas brought down the DBNGP or mixed with coal for optimal burning.

Other customers on the Parmelia line include Alcoa and Alinta, who are also major users of the DBNGP.