Sturt Plateau Pipeline (SPP) is an underground natural gas pipeline planned to be developed in the Northern Territory, Australia.
The pipeline will link the Tamboran Resources’ operated Shenandoah South Pilot Project to the Amadeus Gas Pipeline (AGP).
The project will be developed by Australian energy infrastructure business and pipeline operator APA Group. The project will entail an investment of around A$66.5m.
Construction of the pipeline is expected to occur in 2H 2025, with the SPP available to accept gas from the SS Pilot Project in 1H 2026. The pipeline has been designed to transport up to 50 TJ / day.
Construction and final commissioning are anticipated to take 6 months.
Sturt Plateau Pipeline Route
The 37km Sturt Plateau Pipeline will be constructed around 50km south of Daly Waters and 80km north of Elliott, within the Roper Gulf Region of the Northern Territory. The pipeline will facilitate the transport of gas from the Tamboran’s approved gas exploration and appraisal project in the Beetaloo Basin to the AGP, which is also owned and operated by the APA Group.
The AGP, a bidirectional pipeline, extends from southern Northern Territory to Darwin, delivering natural gas to Darwin, Alice Springs, and various regional centres.
The Sturt Plateau Pipeline is designed to be a buried gas transmission line that will traverse pastoral land. It will span NT Portions 7026, 7513, and 1077, as well as the Stuart Highway road reserve.
To ensure safety, surface markers will be placed at specific points to indicate the underground pipeline’s presence, and the installation beneath the Stuart Highway will be conducted to prevent any traffic disruptions. The facilities at each end of the pipeline will be situated above ground.
Infrastructure
The project entails the construction, installation, operation, and maintenance of the SPP along with the development of associated surface infrastructure. This includes the establishment of receipt and delivery stations, a temporary construction camp, and the management of the pipeline’s operation and eventual decommissioning.
The project’s disturbance footprint spans 146 hectares, covering the construction right of way (CROW) for the SPP transmission pipeline, sites for the Shenandoah and Sturt Plateau facilities, and additional workspaces for truck turnarounds, vegetation storage, horizontal bore entry/exit points, and pipe storage.
Key components of the proposal include the Shenandoah Facility, which serves as the receipt station connecting the pipeline to the Tamboran Sturt Plateau Compression Facility, and the Sturt Plateau Facility, the delivery station linking the pipeline to the Amadeus Gas Pipeline that supplies Darwin, Alice Springs, and regional centres.
The 37km pipeline itself will be a medium diameter (DN300/323.8 mm) buried gas transmission line with a maximum pressure of 9.6 megapascals.
Other aspects will include a buried cathodic protection anode bed, and a temporary construction camp with associated facilities. Additional work areas are designated for construction activities.
Construction of Sturt Plateau Pipeline
The preliminary survey work for the project includes the installation of temporary gates and the clearing of up to 134 hectares of native vegetation to establish the construction footprint, which includes the construction right of way (CROW).
Site preparation involves creating laydown areas, stockpiling cleared vegetation, setting up truck turnarounds, and establishing trenched or bored crossings. Existing access tracks will be maintained or upgraded to an all-weather standard suitable for heavy vehicles, typically featuring a 6-m wide surface with gravel sheeting in areas prone to flooding. These tracks will provide access through pastoral properties to the CROW and worksites.
The project also involves constructing the Shenandoah and Sturt Plateau facilities and developing ancillary surface infrastructure. A temporary construction camp will be set up to accommodate up to 150 people, complete with diesel storage, wash-down facilities, wastewater treatment, and waste management systems.
Additional work areas, such as construction laydown areas, will also be developed. Gravel will be sourced from borrow pits within the project area, including a proposed 50 by 50-meter pit at the Sturt Plateau Facility laydown area. Additional material may come from the temporary construction camp area, with final locations determined after a geotechnical assessment.
Water for dust suppression, trench compaction, hydrostatic testing, and potable use will be sourced from existing Tamboran bores and new APA SPP bores near the Shenandoah Facility, with plans to drill at least two new bores for the temporary campsite.
The construction and installation of the pipeline will follow a sequence starting from either kilometer point (KP) 0 at the Shenandoah Facility (NT Portion 7026) or KP 37 at the Sturt Plateau Facility (NT Portion 1077), depending on weather and site conditions.
The pipeline will have an operational life of around 40 years.
Agreements
In December 2024, APA Group signed the development agreement, long-term gas transportation agreement and connection agreement with Tamboran Resources and Daly Waters Energy, for the Sturt Plateau Pipeline (SPP).
The agreement enabled APA to build and connect the SPP to the Tamboran Resources’ operated Shenandoah South Pilot Project to the Amadeus Gas Pipeline.
