A giant joint project is seeking federal approval to drill up to 7,700 new gas wells in Queensland.

Australia Pacific LNG – a joint venture between Origin, ConocoPhillips and Sinopec – has applied to expand its “Gas Supply Security Project” across an additional 476,492ha of central and south-west Queensland.

The tenements include land that borders Carnarvon national park and Expedition national park, and would potentially impact 26 plant and animal species and six threatened ecological communities.

Environmental groups say the plan would turn their rural communities into an industrial gas field.

APLNG’s application says the expansion is needed in part because of predictions by the Australian Energy Market Operator of a gas supply shortfall from 2024. 

However, AEMO’s most recent “gas statement of opportunities” said there is an improved outlook for gas supply due to a new import terminal at Port Kembla.

APLNG’s referral documents also say the company will use horizontal or directional drilling to run pipelines “under threatened ecological communities, threatened flora, threatened fauna habitat and migratory fauna habitat”. 

Permission is being sought for a “maximum development scenario” of 7,700 wells, each with a construction footprint of about 1.5ha. They also require a network of gas and water pipelines, processing facilities, water management facilities and other infrastructure.

Origin Energy is the “upstream” operator of APLNG’s gas fields in Queensland, and says the documents are talking about maximum well numbers, when in reality the project may be smaller. 

Origin says decisions about the eventual scope of the project will be made “during final development planning”, in compliance with state and federal approvals.