Santos and joint venture partner Beach Energy have made a final investment decision for the Moomba Central Optimization (MCO) project, a major infrastructure modernization effort in South Australia’s Cooper Basin aimed at reducing costs, increasing production capacity, and extending the life of one of Australia’s most important gas-producing regions.
The three-year project will replace seven aging gas engine-driven compressor stations with a single centralized electric-driven compression facility. Additional inlet compression and power generation capacity will also be installed at the Moomba Gas Plant, allowing operators to debottleneck existing infrastructure and increase throughput from the basin’s high-productivity Central Fields.
By consolidating and electrifying compression infrastructure, Santos aims to unlock future field development opportunities while reducing emissions and improving operating efficiency. The company estimates the project will lower Scope 1 emissions by roughly 40,000 tonnes of CO₂-equivalent annually.
“The Cooper Basin has been a cornerstone of Australia’s gas supply for more than 60 years. The MCO project will unlock significant value by modernizing our infrastructure and extending the productive life of this world-class resource,” said Kevin Gallagher, managing director and chief executive officer of Santos. “By replacing aging infrastructure with modern, electric-driven technology, we will reduce operating costs, improve reliability and lower emissions.”
