One of the worldâs largest Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) resources, the Gorgon gas field was finally given the green light this week after production licences and development approval was granted by the state of Western Australia. The Gorgon Project is a joint venture from three of the leading international gas companies, Chevron, ExxonMobil and Shell. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said that the project would rejuvenate the economy, providing A$300 billion from exportation.
The world class gas resource is laying new ground in harmonising a gas development plant with environmental conservation. The Gorgon project will use just 1.3 per cent of uncleared land on Barrow Island to maximise the amount of gas extraction without causing a significant dent on the landscape.
Energy demand is set to grow over the next 20 years by 44 per cent according to the Energy Information Administration in the US. As natural gas is the cleanest burning fossil fuel, the demand for readily available energy supplies tempered by the desire to be green will see LNG take precedence over coal and oil in the coming years. These statistics are backed by the International Energy Agency which predicts demand for gas will grow by two thirds by 2030.
The Gorgon gas project is expected to cost over A$43 billion and once complete will produce an astonishing 15 million tonnes of LNG annually from its purpose-built plant. Production is expected to start by 2014, allowing up to 300 terajoules of gas energy each day once it reaches capacity.
The Gorgon Project will reduce the environmental impact of extracting the gas from the ground thanks to the innovation of carbon dioxide injection technology, which is being pioneered by the companies involved. Methane gas is extracted from the Gorgon reservoir before being separated from CO2 in the energy plant.
CO2, the greenhouse gas that is a major threat for global warming is then compressed and injected 2.5 kilometres underground to ensure that it is stored safely and not released into the atmosphere. In this way the gas can be extracted for energy uses without causing a significant environmental impact on the surrounding area.
Kim has written various articles about smart meters and has researched into their benefits. She also enjoys writing various other topics.
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