B.H.P.-Esso Plan Bigger Pipeline

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31764, 22 August 1968, Page 19

B.H.P.-Esso Plan Bigger Pipeline

GV.Z. Press Association—Copyright) MELBOURNE, August 21. B.H.P. and Esso are planning a big expansion of their pipeline system to bring oil and natural gas ashore from Bass Strait.

By about mid-1970, oil anc gas from the partnership'! Barracouta, Marlin, Kingfist and Halibut fields will be flowing through about 45; miles of pipeline to Sale and Westernport. About 115 miles of the pipeline system will be undei Bass Strait, and the other 34( miles will be on land. Original Plans Originally the partnership planned about 220 miles oi pipelines to produce gas and oil from their first two fields. Barracouta and Marlin. But with the discovery of the bigger fields Kingfish and Halibut, B.H.P. and Esso now expect to be producing 240.000 barrels of oil a day by the end of 1970—enough to meet about 48 per cent of Australia's total requirements by that time—as well as natural gas for Victorian homes and industries.

I The Kingfish field, with ; estimated reserves of 850 m i barrels, will be the biggest oil > producer. The three 21-well i platforms on the field will be I linked together by a 12-inch pipeline. Link To Halibut ' The third Kingfish platform will be linked with the 24well Halibut platform by an 18-inch line. • Halibut will be joined with the 24-well Marlin platform by a 24-inch line. From Marlin, the oil from the three fields will travel to the coast through a 24-inch line. The gas will go ashore through a separate 20-inch line. At the mainland, the Marlin crude oil line will become a 26-inch line. Both the gas and oil lines will run along the Ninety Mile Beach to the 8.H.P.-Esso gas treatment plant at Dutson. near Sale.