The South West Queensland Pipeline (SWQP) (also known as the Ballera to Wallumbilla Natural Gas Pipeline or the Ballera to Wallumbilla Pipeline System) is a transmission pipeline that services Wallumbilla to Moomba located in South-East Queensland/South Australia. The pipeline is owned and operated by the APA Group.
The SWQP is 937 km in total length, and has a nominal diameter of DN400 to DN450. The Eastern-haul (Moomba to Wallumbilla) capacity is 340 TJ/day and Western-haul (Wallumbilla to Moomba) is between 487-512 TJ/day. The SWQP consists of the original pipeline that is 755 km in length, and the Queensland to South Australia/New South Wales (QSN) Link extension that is 182 km in length. In 2014, the integrated SWQP and QSN Link were reconfigured as a bi-directional pipeline.
The SWQP transports gas in a west to east direction from the Ballera gas processing plant in south west Queensland to the Wallumbilla supply hub. At Ballera, there is a connection to the Carpentaria Gas Pipeline that supplies gas to Mount Isa. Also, along the route of the original SWQP there are connections to pipelines that supply gas to power stations at Roma and Barcaldine (Cheepie to Barcaldine Gas Pipeline). The QSN Link provides a link between Ballera (in Queensland) and Moomba (in South Australia). At Moomba, it connects to the Moomba to Sydney Pipeline (MSP) and the Moomba to Adelaide Pipeline System (MAPS).
The following augmentations have been made since initial commissioning :
- 2012: Pipeline acquired. Westernhaul nameplate: 384 TJ/d
- 2014: 3 x Mars-90 at Moomba installed. Easternhaul nameplate: 340 TJ/d
- 2023: 1 x Mars-100 at SS2. Westernhaul nameplate: 453 TJ/d
- 2024: 1 x Mars-100 at SS6. Westernhaul nameplate: 512 TJ/d
The SWQP is currently a non-scheme pipeline, and is subject to the access regime for non-scheme pipelines under Chapter 6A of the NGL and Part 23 of the NGR. The original SWQP was a covered pipeline and was regulated by the ACCC under the Gas Code. However, it was the subject of a Queensland Government derogation which precluded the ACCC from reviewing the reference tariff and reference tariff policy for the full forward haul service specified in the access arrangement until 2016. The reference tariff was instead approved by the Queensland Minister. In passing the National Gas (Queensland) Act 2008 to implement the NGL, the Queensland Government also passed a regulation that, among other things, specified that the SWQP was not a covered pipeline and that coverage could not be sought for the first year after the NGL commenced in Queensland.
The original SWQP was constructed in 1996. In 2008, the QSN Link extension to the SWQP was constructed. In December 2012, the APA Group acquired the SWQP when it completed its takeover of Hastings Diversified Utilities Fund.
