Browse LNG
| Company type | Joint venture |
|---|---|
| Industry | Liquefied natural gas |
| Founder | Woodside Petroleum, Shell, BP, Japan Australia LNG, BHP Billiton |
| Fate | Project discontinued due to economic infeasibility |
| Headquarters | James Price Point, Dampier Peninsula, Western Australia , Australia |
Area served | Browse Basin |
Key people | Woodside Petroleum (operator) |
| Products | Liquefied natural gas |
| Owner | Woodside Petroleum, Shell, BP, Japan Australia LNG, BHP Billiton (formerly) |
The Browse LNG project was a proposed LNG facility planned for development at James Price Point, situated north of Broome on the Dampier Peninsula, Western Australia. This initiative was under consideration by a consortium comprising Woodside Petroleum, Shell, BP, Japan Australia LNG, and BHP Billiton, with Woodside acting as the operator. The facility aimed to process natural gas extracted from the Browse Basin, with liquefied natural gas transported via a port established within the Browse LNG Precinct. Ultimately, the onshore development was discontinued due to economic infeasibility.
Background
The Browse Basin contains contingent resources estimated at 15.9 trillion cubic feet of dry gas alongside 436 million barrels of condensate, predominantly located in the Torosa, Brecknock, and Calliance fields.
History
The LNG plant was proposed to be constructed at James Price Point, north of Broome on Western Australia's Dampier Peninsula.
As of , the joint venture partners included:
- Woodside Petroleum (Operator)
- Shell
- BP
- Japan Australia LNG (MIMI Browse), a collaboration between Mitsubishi and Mitsui
- BHP Billiton
In December 2012, PetroChina agreed to acquire BHP Billiton's 8.3% interest in East Browse and 20% stake in West Browse for US$1.63 billion, subject to regulatory clearance and right of first refusal by other joint venture members.
The consortium ultimately ceased plans for the onshore facility after escalating Australian costs rendered the project financially unviable.
Indigenous concerns
James Price Point is located near multiple Aboriginal sacred sites. The Kimberley Land Council, representing the local Jabirr Jabirr community at Goolarabooloo under the Native Title Act 1993, endorsed the onshore development with 60% approval. Nevertheless, certain traditional owners legally contested this outcome, raising issues about the disruption of established consultation procedures and threats of compulsory land acquisition by the Premier, compounded by premature disclosures from Woodside and government representatives.
Environment
The Australian Greens cautioned that constructing the port—including dredging operations and reef blasting—might result in a "marine deadzone." This position was met with opposition from Jabirr elder Rita Augustine, who spoke on behalf of traditional owners against the Greens' viewpoint.
A scientist emphasized the risk of permanent harm to rare fossils in the vicinity, such as Western Australia's sole known dinosaur footprint, which might be among the largest worldwide. However, a 2010 study indicated that many footprints were either heavily eroded or misidentified as fossils rather than genuine imprints.
The facility was projected to release approximately of wastewater annually into marine waters. An alliance of 25 global conservation organizations expressed apprehension about potential effects on vital habitats supporting turtles, whales, and seabirds. The coastline near Broome serves as the largest nursery globally for humpback whales and is home to five turtle species, dugong, coral reefs, and snubfin dolphin. According to the Environmental Protection Authority of Western Australia (EPA), humpback whale breeding areas lie between 60 and 240 km north of James Price Point; furthermore, 95% of whales pass at distances exceeding 8 km offshore near the site. The EPA stipulated conditions intended to safeguard whale and turtle populations.
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society challenged these EPA conclusions, citing footage showing hundreds of whales within an 8 km radius of James Price Point.
On 16 July 2012, the EPA advised "strict conditional approval," highlighting that consolidating multiple LNG operators at a single location would prevent the establishment of several processing sites along Kimberley's sensitive coastline.