EMERGING CHALLENGES IN AUSTRALIA’S DOMESTIC GAS MARKET

Abstract

This paper considers emerging challenges to balancing gas supply and demand in Australia’s domestic market in the context of the global demand for Australian gas exports. Based on a major 2004 study by Wood Mackenzie, a series of scenario forecasts assessed the balance of gas allocation to domestic and export gas demand to 2020.

Australia is destined to become an increasingly significant global supplier and exporter of gas, primarily as LNG. The recent emergence of major new LNG customers in China and (west coast) north America seeking to secure supplies has ignited a global gas demand-pull on Australia’s gas reserves that is competing with domestic demand.

The States of Western Australia (WA) and the Northern Territory (NT) hold more than 130 Tcf or 90% of Australia’s total remaining gas reserves. For many years industry and politicians have proposed major transnational pipelines to transport gas out of the remote northwest or from Papua New Guinea to feed the energy-hungry southeast, and supplement existing gas production from the Cooper Basin and Bass Strait.

Striking the right balance between export and domestic gas resource allocation and meeting the needs of producers, customers and policy-makers is emerging as a major challenge within Australia’s domestic gas market.