In Focus: Australia
The Shell Australia business is focused on the exploration, development and production of LNG and oil. Australia ranks in Shell's top five as an investment destination. We are Australia’s second-largest foreign investor.
Shell: A major investor in Australian LNG
The bulk of the growth in global LNG exports in 2016 came from Australia, where exports increased by 15 million tonnes (MT) to 44.3 MT. Australia is now the second largest LNG exporter, after Qatar and ahead of Malaysia.
Shell’s Australian portfolio includes:
- Majority interest holding of the Shell-operated QGC venture;
- 67.5% stake in our operated Prelude FLNG project;
- 50% interest in Queensland’s Arrow Energy;
- 27% equity in the Woodside-operated Browse Development venture;
- 25% stake in the Chevron-operated Gorgon LNG project;
- 16.67% equity in the Woodside-operated NWS Project; and
- 13% equity in Woodside Petroleum.
QGC
The Shell-operated QGC venture is located in Queensland in eastern Australia. QGC, one of Australia’s leading natural gas producers, is focused on developing Queensland’s world-class onshore gas reserves. QGC operates an 8.5-mtpa LNG plant on Curtis Island near Gladstone, as well as natural gas operations which include wells, compression stations and processing plants, in Queensland’s Surat Basin. During the development and operation of QGC, the venture has worked with local communities and Traditional Owner groups, while meeting 1,500 environmental conditions.
Shell is the majority interest holder in the QGC venture. The partners in the LNG plant on Curtis Island are CNOOC (50% equity in Train 1) and Tokyo Gas (2.5% equity in Train 2).
In November 2015, QGC announced the Charlie project on its tenements west of Wandoan in Queensland’s Surat Basin. The Charlie project is the operation’s next stage of development and is an important investment in future gas supply. The project is progressing to schedule.
QGC has supplied natural gas to the domestic market since 2006 and LNG to international customers since 2014. In 2016, QGC supplied the equivalent of 20% of Queensland’s domestic demand and loaded its 200th cargo in December 2016.
Arrow
Arrow provides approximately 20% of Queensland’s gas supply from five producing onshore gas fields in both the Surat and Bowen Basins.
Shell holds a 50% interest in Arrow Energy, a joint venture partnership with PetroChina, which is developing onshore reserves in Queensland’s Surat Basin, and the Bowen Basin in Central Queensland.
Arrow is assessing development options for its natural gas resources.
