Karratha Gas Plant: Water, Effluent & Process Profile

Water & effluent

Intake source: municipal
Intake note: Potable scheme water feeds the RO demineralised water plant. No seawater intake or seawater desalination found in any source: the plant is air-cooled. Offshore produced formation water is separated, treated and discharged offshore in Commonwealth waters, not at KGP.
Cooling: air-cooled
Raw water quality: Scheme water varies in salinity, silica/carbonates, particulates and chlorine by source and season (licence amendment 2017); no analysis published. Receiving seawater: SST 24-32 degC, salinity approx. 34 psu.
Effluent treatment: API/CPI
Effluent treatment detail: Two discharge streams. (1) Jetty Outfall: oil-contaminated water from LNG and domgas process areas plus containment and run-off -> CPIs -> aerated holding basins -> final basin T6701 (350 m3) -> batch discharge to Mermaid Sound via diffuser at -6.78 m. (2) Admin Drain: MBR sewage effluent + RO reject brine + site stormwater -> concrete-lined drain -> No Name Creek -> No Name Bay; average approx. 72 m3/d over 10 years. EPA 2022: proponent to install additional treatment to reduce hydrocarbons and heavy metals at the Jetty Outfall.
Discharge to: Mermaid Sound (Jetty Outfall, within a MEPA of approx. 500-600 m) and No Name Bay via No Name Creek (Admin Drain, MEPA 70 m)
Discharge regime: WA EP Act Part V licence L5491/1984/18 (Woodside Onshore Gas Treatment Plant; issued 26 Sep 2013, amended 2016 and 27 Nov 2017), whose only point-source air limits are NOx (350 mg/m3 T1-T3, 100 mg/m3 T4-T5). Ministerial Statement 1233 (Dec 2024) with the Marine Environmental Quality Management Plan Rev 4. STP design spec: pH 6.5-8.5, TSS <50 mg/L, BOD <20, COD <125, TN <10, TP <2 mg/L, total coliforms <500 CFU/100 mL. RO brine <=81.25 m3/d, TDS <=4,000 mg/L. Monthly sampling and volume recording at the Admin Drain; 99% species protection required beyond each MEPA boundary.
Not public (discharge regime): The current licence version is not confirmed: L5491/1984/18 is the latest cited (EPA 2022). The full licence condition table (oil-in-water and other numeric limits at the Jetty Outfall) and MEQMP Table 4-3 criteria were not extracted.
Sources: der.wa.gov.au ; epa.wa.gov.au ; epa.wa.gov.au ; woodside.com ; epa.wa.gov.au

Known issues

Admin Drain toxicity (Dec 2025 WET): SSD needs approx. 1:150 dilution for 99% protection but only approx. 1:14 is achieved at the MEPA edge. Flagged for further assessment under the MEQMP.
Admin Drain ammonia 26 mg/L as N, above the MEQMP EQG, although the MBR design basis is TN <10 mg/L. Enterococci >24,000 MPN/100 mL.
Metals above ANZG 99% DGVs at end of pipe: Cu, Zn, Ni, Fe, Cr(VI) (e.g. Admin Drain total Zn 80 ug/L, Fe 820 ug/L; Jetty Outfall total Ni 5.3 ug/L). All compliant after the expected dilution at the MEPA boundaries.
Jetty Outfall TRH 450 ug/L, weathered heavy fraction; toxicity much lower than in 2018 (approx. 1:19 dilution needed vs 1:400 available).
Historical PFAS/PFOA contamination in on-site sediments; detailed site investigation required by EPA.
Third-party feed gas (Pluto, Waitsia, Browse) may change Jetty Outfall composition and may trigger a s.53 licence amendment.

Site, ownership & capacity

Owners

Name	Share pct	Source	Note
Woodside Energy	33.33	woodside.com
BP Developments Australia Pty Ltd	16.67	woodside.com
Chevron Australia Pty Ltd	16.67	woodside.com
Japan Australia LNG (MIMI) Pty Ltd	16.67	woodside.com
Shell Australia Pty Ltd	16.67	woodside.com
CNOOC		woodside.com	Participant in some NWS joint ventures (CLNG JV, where Woodside holds 25%); no interest in the infrastructure.

Country

Australia

Region

Western Australia, Pilbara, Burrup Peninsula (Murujuga)

Town

Karratha (approx. 18 km); Dampier 9 km SW

Lat

-20.5942

Lon

116.7767

Coastal

Yes

Water body

Mermaid Sound (Dampier Archipelago); Withnell Bay to the north; No Name Bay receives Admin Drain

Not public

Plant grade elevation not published; would come from Woodside site drawings or a DEM lookup.

Detail

Leases: KGP De Witt Location Lot 199 (236 ha), buffer Lot 197 (95 ha), Southern Expansion Lease (132 ha), King Bay Supply Facility (58 ha), jetties seabed lease (111 ha). Murujuga National Park 300 m east of premises boundary.

Sources

gem.wiki ; epa.wa.gov.au ; der.wa.gov.au

Capacity

Not public (gas mmscfd): Plant-inlet gas capacity in MMscf/d is not published. Published figures: domestic gas nameplate 630 TJ/d (AEMO 2025 WA GSOO); North Rankin A original capacity 1,815 MMscf/d (Wikipedia, 1984).
Lng mtpa: 14.3
Lng mtpa note: Nameplate after the permanent retirement of LNG Train 2 in July 2025 (16.9 -> 14.3 Mtpa, GIIGNL). The approved maximum under MS 536 remains 18.5 Mtpa (7.5 Mtpa T1-T3 + 11 Mtpa T4-T5). Four LNG trains now operate (Woodside H1 2026).
Domgas tj per day: 630
Condensate note: Engineers Australia (2017): project capacity 46,000 t/d LNG, 12,600 t/d domestic gas, 10,000 t/d condensate (pre-retirement).
Sources: giignl.org ; epa.wa.gov.au ; aemo.com.au ; portal.engineersaustralia.org.au ; nasdaq.com

Integrated LNG liquefaction, domestic gas processing, condensate stabilisation and LPG fractionation plant; now also a third-party tolling facility (Pluto, Waitsia; Browse proposed).

Woodside-Chevron asset swap announced 19 Dec 2024 will lift Woodside to 50%; completion targeted Q4 2026 (H1 2026 report). Woodside's 1/3 share followed the BHP Petroleum merger of 1 June 2022.

Scarborough gas goes to Pluto LNG (Pluto Train 2), not KGP; AEMO allocates 1.9 Mtpa to Pluto on Scarborough start-up.

Process units

Unit	Capacity	Not public (licensor)	Year	Source	Licensor	Not public (year)
liquefaction train	LNG Train 1: 2.5 Mtpa (debottlenecked from 2.3 Mtpa in 1994); propane pre-cooled mixed refrigerant with end-flash stage	Liquefaction licensor not named in fetched sources (OGJ describes propane/mixed-refrigerant cycle only).	1989	gem.wiki ; ogj.com
liquefaction train	LNG Train 2: 2.5 Mtpa - PERMANENTLY RETIRED July 2025 (declining feed gas)		1989	gem.wiki ; giignl.org
liquefaction train	LNG Train 3: 2.5 Mtpa; debottlenecked 1995		1992	gem.wiki ; ogj.com
liquefaction train	LNG Train 4: 4.6 Mtpa; Frame 7 drivers with DLN, hydraulic power-recovery turbines		2004	gem.wiki ; epa.wa.gov.au
liquefaction train	LNG Train 5: 4.6 Mtpa (Phase V expansion, A$2.6 billion); Frame 7 drivers with DLN		2008	gem.wiki ; energytodaymag.com.au
amine	Acid gas removal unit (AGRU) per LNG train. T1-T3 originally Shell Sulfinol designed for 4 vol% CO2 feed to 100 ppm(mol) max; absorber trays replaced by Sulzer Mellapak 250X, solvent changed 50/30/20 -> 50/15/35 DIPA/sulfolane/water (1993-95). 2019 benchmarking states aMDEA is used at KGP. CO2 vented to atmosphere (reservoir CO2 approx. 1.64 Mt CO2-e/yr).		1989	ogj.com ; epa.wa.gov.au ; epa.wa.gov.au	Shell (Sulfinol, original); aMDEA per 2019 report
dehydration	Three-vessel molecular sieve dehydration per LNG train (T1-T3 description); domestic gas dehydration with regeneration furnaces		1989	ogj.com ; epa.wa.gov.au
mercury removal	Mercury removal unit downstream of mol-sieve dehydration (T1-T3 description); adsorbent type not published		1989	ogj.com
fractionation	Three LPG fractionation units (LPG extraction approved under MS 320); plus two fractionation trains supplying C2/C3 refrigerant make-up (T1-T3 era)			epa.wa.gov.au ; ogj.com		LPG facility start year not in fetched sources.
dew point	Two domestic gas trains, 630 TJ/d nameplate, export compression to the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline (1,530 km)		1984	aemo.com.au ; portal.engineersaustralia.org.au
fractionation	Six condensate stabilisation units (fired stabiliser furnaces)		1984	epa.wa.gov.au ; portal.engineersaustralia.org.au
GTG	Power generation gas turbines incl. LM6000 DLE units; older industrial GTs also in service; integrated electrical system			epa.wa.gov.au ; epa.wa.gov.au
sour water stripper	NOT A SOUR WATER STRIPPER - listed here as the nearest schema slot for the oil-contaminated water (OCW) system: CPIs -> aerated holding basins -> final holding basin T6701 (350 m3) -> Jetty Outfall			woodside.com

Known equipment

Item	Detail	Vendor	Source
compressor	T1-T3 refrigerant compressors: 4 x 26 MW (ISO) gas-turbine drivers, GE Frame 5B uprated to 5C by Advanced Technology Parts (+9% shaft power); LP propane compressor re-wheeled	GE	ogj.com
compressor	End-flash gas compressor, 11 MW (ISO) gas-turbine driven (T1-T3); propane, mixed refrigerant, end-flash and domgas export compressor turbines are all listed emission sources		ogj.com ; epa.wa.gov.au
compressor	T4 and T5 Frame 7 gas turbines with Dry-Low NOx; Lean Head End liners on 22 of 25 turbines. Licence NOx limits: 350 mg/m3 (T1-T3), 100 mg/m3 (T4-T5)	GE (Frame 7, LM6000)	epa.wa.gov.au ; epa.wa.gov.au
column	Sulfinol CO2 absorbers: 55 HI-FI trays replaced by 2 x 12 m sections of Sulzer Mellapak 250X; absorber dP reduced 1 bar	Sulzer	ogj.com
exchanger	Extensive air-cooler banks (plant designed air-cooled, not seawater-cooled); at high ambient temperature air-cooling capacity limits LNG production		ogj.com ; portal.engineersaustralia.org.au
heater	Stabiliser furnaces and domestic gas dehydration regeneration furnaces		epa.wa.gov.au
flare	Emergency, operational, storage and loading flares		epa.wa.gov.au
separator	Corrugated plate interceptors (CPIs) as primary oil removal in the OCW system, followed by holding basins with aeration and final holding basin T6701		woodside.com
WWTP unit	Final effluent holding basin T6701, max 350 m3; batch discharge 350 m3 over 116 min (0.05 m3/s), typically not more than twice a week; outfall 450 mm pipe on jetty, 5-port diffuser, 150 mm ports at 45 deg down, -6.78 m MSL		epa.wa.gov.au
WWTP unit	Sewage treatment plant, membrane bioreactor (MBR) with equalisation tank, replaced 2017-18; design 170 m3/d, typical 56-57 m3/d; sucrose dosing to hold biomass at low flow; ~15 kL sludge removed every 1-3 months		der.wa.gov.au
WWTP unit	Demineralised water plant, reverse osmosis, containerised modules; max 600 m3/d, expected up to 325 m3/d; 10-25% reject; sodium bisulphite dechlorination (~10 mg/L of 30% solution); CIP every ~6 months into 22.5 kL poly tank; largest chemical tank 205 L NaOH		der.wa.gov.au
separator	LNG storage: four 65,000 m3 tanks (as described in 1996; current tank count after T4/T5 not confirmed in fetched sources)		ogj.com
separator	Feed arrives via two trunklines (1TL, approx. 1 m diameter, and 2TL) from the North Rankin Complex; Pluto-KGP Interconnector 3.2 km x 30-inch (AGIG-operated) since 2022		epa.wa.gov.au ; portal.engineersaustralia.org.au ; woodside.com

Feed

Crude slate

Not applicable (gas plant). Feed: NWSJV fields North Rankin, Goodwyn, Angel and Greater Western Flank via the North Rankin Complex; third-party feed from Pluto (Interconnector, to 2029) and Waitsia Stage 2 (from Q4 2025); Browse proposed

Gas composition

Not public (h2s): H2S content of NWS feed gas not published in any fetched source. H2S was below reporting limit (<=0.01 mg/L) in both treated discharges in Dec 2025.
Co2: Reservoir CO2 2.4 mol% (KGP T1-T5 and T4-T5 rows, 2019 GHG benchmarking). Original AGRU design basis 4 vol% CO2 to 100 ppm(mol) LNG spec.
Mercury: Present enough to warrant a mercury removal unit on each LNG train; feed-gas Hg concentration not published. Mercury <0.1 ug/L in both treated effluent streams (Dec 2025).
Condensate: Condensate-rich: project condensate capacity 10,000 t/d (2017); NWS crude and condensate production 35-40 kboe/d (100% basis) Sep 2025-Mar 2026.
Not public: No full feed-gas analysis (C1-C7+, N2, H2S, Hg, water) is public; third-party feed changes the composition over time (EPA Report 1727 notes this).

Sources

epa.wa.gov.au ; ogj.com ; woodside.com ; woodside.com

Chemistry & corrosion risks

amine degradation: history of Sulfinol absorber foaming and hydrocarbon co-absorption (up to approx. 200 t/d hydrocarbon lost with vented CO2 across 3 trains before the 1993-95 fix); solvent now aMDEA
mercury: MRU on every train; feed Hg not published; any water-contact equipment in process areas must assume Hg-bearing condensate/sludge until tested
fouling: air-cooler capacity limits production at high ambient; gas-turbine compressor fouling managed by water-washing
scaling: RO feed (scheme water) carries silica/carbonates and chlorine that vary by source and season; the membranes need frequent flushing and 6-monthly CIP
biocide/consent conflict: the Admin Drain combines MBR effluent, RO brine and stormwater and shows high ammonia (26 mg/L N), enterococci and whole-effluent toxicity needing 1:150 dilution against 1:14 available
chloride/overhead corrosion: marine, cyclone-exposed coastal site with seawater at 24-32 degC (inferred risk for external and splash-zone corrosion; no KGP corrosion data published)
emulsions: OCW network collects oily drainage from LNG/domgas areas; CPIs are the only primary oil-removal stage described
PFAS: historical PFAS/PFOA in site sediments (firefighting foam legacy)
feed variability: third-party gas (Pluto, Waitsia, Browse) changes CO2, contaminants and wastewater composition

Site conditions

Climate: Hot, semi-arid tropical coast. Karratha Aero: mean maximum 36.3 degC (March), 36.0-36.1 degC (Dec-Jan), mean minimum 27.0 degC (Jan); mean annual rainfall 290.9 mm, concentrated Jan-Mar (cyclone season). Summer winds from NW-SW with sea breezes; winter winds from E-SE, 10-15 m/s inshore.
Not public (ambient max): The record highest temperature for Karratha Aero was not on the fetched BoM summary table; the Woodside design ambient temperature is not published. The highest monthly mean maximum is 36.3 degC.
Not public (seismic): No seismic hazard value found; would come from AS 1170.4 hazard factor for Karratha or Geoscience Australia NSHA.
Not public (ground): No geotechnical data found for the plant site. Offshore carbonate sediments caused foundation problems at North Rankin A (Engineers Australia), which is not the onshore site.
Flood or coastal risk: Cyclone-prone: all facilities and housing designed for cyclones (OGJ 1996). In 2026 Severe Tropical Cyclones Mitchell and Narelle (Mar 2026) forced shutdown and restart of onshore and offshore facilities; Narelle took out about 44% of WA gas supply. Tidal currents at the outfall 0.05-0.18 m/s; wind-driven surface currents up to 0.7 m/s in surges.
Hazardous area regime: IECEx
Hazardous area basis: inferred: Australia applies the AS/NZS 60079 series (IEC 60079-based) and IECEx certification. Not confirmed from a Woodside KGP document.
Sources: bom.gov.au ; epa.wa.gov.au ; ogj.com ; woodside.com ; boilingcold.com.au

History

Year	Event	Detail	Source
1971	commissioning	North Rankin, Goodwyn and Angel gas fields discovered 1971-72, 130 km NW of Dampier in 125 m water	portal.engineersaustralia.org.au
1984	commissioning	Phase 1 (1980-84): KGP commissioned with North Rankin A and 1 m trunkline; domestic gas production starts into the 1,530 km DBNGP	portal.engineersaustralia.org.au
1989	commissioning	Phase 2 (1985-89): LNG Trains 1 and 2, storage, export wharf; first LNG cargo to Japan (Sodegaura). Air-cooled, gas-turbine-driven design (a step change from seawater-cooled, steam-turbine LNG plants). Integrated project cost A$12 billion	portal.engineersaustralia.org.au ; gem.wiki
1992	expansion	LNG Train 3 on stream	gem.wiki
1995	revamp	Three-train debottleneck, 1993-95 (T2 Oct 1993, T1 1994, T3 1995): AGRU packing and solvent change, Frame 5B->5C ATP upgrade; 6.9 -> >7.5 Mtpa for A$48 million	ogj.com
2004	expansion	LNG Train 4 (4.6 Mtpa) under MS 536	epa.wa.gov.au
2008	expansion	LNG Train 5 (Phase V, A$2.6 billion); Angel platform on stream Oct 2008	energytodaymag.com.au
2013	upgrade	North Rankin B commissioned (compression, offshore)	en.wikipedia.org
2017	upgrade	Licence amendment approving a new MBR sewage treatment plant and a new RO demineralised water plant, replacing resin-bed demin	der.wa.gov.au
2018	upgrade	NWS Project Extension referred to WA EPA (Nov 2018): operate to about 2070 and process third-party gas	epa.wa.gov.au
2022	upgrade	Pluto-KGP Interconnector commercial start-up (31 Mar 2022); KGP begins third-party tolling. WA EPA Report 1727 recommends approval (June 2022). BHP Petroleum merges into Woodside (1 June 2022)	woodside.com ; epa.wa.gov.au
2024	upgrade	WA State approval, Ministerial Statement 1233 (Dec 2024): NOx and VOC -40% by 2030, net zero Scope 1 by 2050, cap of 128.2 Mt CO2-e net over the life of the extension. Chevron asset swap announced 19 Dec 2024	woodside.com ; epa.wa.gov.au
2025	closure	LNG Train 2 permanently retired (July 2025); nameplate 16.9 -> 14.3 Mtpa. Murujuga Cultural Landscape inscribed on World Heritage List (July 2025). Federal EPBC approval to 2070 on 12 Sep 2025 (48 conditions). Waitsia Stage 2 gas processing starts Q4 2025; Interconnector extended to 2029	giignl.org ; woodside.com ; woodside.com
2026	outage	Severe Tropical Cyclones Mitchell and Narelle (Mar 2026) shut and restarted onshore and offshore facilities; three Federal Court challenges heard July 2026, WA Supreme Court challenge scheduled Q4 2026	woodside.com ; nasdaq.com

Performance

Utilisation pct: 69
Utilisation basis: inferred: NWS LNG rate 220 kboe/d (100% basis, Dec 2025) / 8.08 boe per tonne (Woodside KGP conversion factor) = approx. 27,200 t/d = approx. 9.9 Mtpa; divided by 14.3 Mtpa nameplate = approx. 69%. The Mar 2026 rate of 210 kboe/d gives approx. 9.5 Mtpa. AEMO states KGP has the lowest domestic gas capacity utilisation of the WA plants.
Throughput recent: NWS LNG 218-220 kboe/d (Sep-Dec 2025), 210 kboe/d (Mar 2026); condensate 35-40 kbbl/d; NGL 7-9 kbbl/d (100% basis). Pluto via Interconnector 20-27 kboe/d LNG. LNG reliability 99.8% (Q4 2025), 99.7% (Q1 2026), 98.7% (H1 2026). Woodside share H1 2026: 14.0 MMboe, down 7%. Supplied 14% of WA domestic gas in 2024. More than 6,500 LNG cargoes since 1989.
Notes: AEMO 2025 GSOO forecasts NWS own production declining from 2025 until depleted in 2035; Waitsia Stage 2 backfills end-2025 to end-2028. A one-train LNG turnaround was planned for Sep 2026.
Sources: woodside.com ; woodside.com ; nasdaq.com ; aemo.com.au ; woodside.com

Projects

Project	Status	Year	Year note	Source	Epc or licensor
Browse to NWS: Calliance, Brecknock and Torosa fields, 2 FPSOs with offshore CCS (85% of reservoir CO2 abated), approx. 900 km pipeline to KGP; 11.4 Mtpa product capacity, 50,000 bbl/d peak condensate; engineering studies started on the KGP downstream modifications	Concept definition; pre-FEED FPSO scopes; ITTs issued; WA State Significant Project status (2026); EPA/DCCEEW assessment ongoing	2033	Start-up 2033 and cost AU$48.7 billion per GEM (May 2026 estimate); not confirmed by Woodside	woodside.com ; nasdaq.com ; gem.wiki
Greater Western Flank Phase 4: five-well subsea tie-back, approx. US$700 million, 100 MMboe 2P gross	FID Q4 2025; drilling 2027	2028		woodside.com
Waitsia Stage 2 third-party gas processed through KGP	Processing since Q4 2025, ramping up	2025		woodside.com ; aemo.com.au
Pluto-KGP Interconnector extension: approx. 2.8 Mt additional LNG and 22.9 PJ domestic gas	Agreements finalised Q4 2025; runs to 2029	2029		woodside.com	Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (pipeline operator)
Equus gas via NWS infrastructure and KGP	Planned (named by AEMO and GEM)			aemo.com.au ; gem.wiki
MS 1233 air emissions programme: NOx -40% and VOC substantially reduced by 31 Dec 2030; Scope 1 below 5.39 Mt/yr by 2030	In implementation (AQMP, ambient and deposition monitoring reports published)	2030		epa.wa.gov.au
MEQMP adaptive management: Admin Drain further assessment after 2026 WET result; additional Jetty Outfall treatment for hydrocarbons and heavy metals	Open (WET report Rev 0, 24 Jul 2026)	2026		woodside.com ; epa.wa.gov.au	Worley (WET study)
KGP infrastructure retirement planning (further train rationalisation while keeping third-party capacity)	Ongoing			nasdaq.com
Chevron-Woodside asset swap (Woodside to 50%)	Targeted Q4 2026	2026		nasdaq.com

Sources & confidence

High for configuration, approvals and effluent (primary regulator and Woodside documents). Medium for per-train start years (GEM) and current equipment, because the detailed equipment sources date from 1996 and 2019. Low for feed-gas composition beyond CO2.

This profile is compiled from public documents only. Figures are quoted as published, and any inferred value is labelled as inferred. If you can correct or add to it, please contact us.