Resource Efficiency

Energy Use

Woodside recognises the need to have energy-efficient operating facilities. We look at this from two perspectives: in the design of new facilities; and identifying, evaluating and implementing energy savings opportunities.  For example, at the time of commissioning our foundation LNG project in 1984, the North West Shelf Venture (NWSV), our LNG emissions intensity was approximately 0.58 tonnes CO2 per tonne LNG. In 2010, at the start up of production of NSW LNG Train 5, this figure was 0.44 tonne CO2 per tonne LNG, an approximate reduction of 25%.

New facilities
In 2011 we commenced front-end engineering and design for our Browse LNG Development, with an ongoing focus on improving energy efficiency and reducing combustion emissions.

 

Existing facilities
Woodside has participated in the Australian Government’s Energy Efficiency Opportunities program since its inception in 2006. The program operates on a five year cycle and requires companies to assess their energy use, identify opportunities for reduction and report evaluated opportunities to the Federal Government. We have progressively been conducting energy efficiency assessments of our facilities. Assessments were completed during 2009 for the North Rankin A offshore production facility and the Karratha and Otway gas plants. The results are published in our Energy Efficiency Opportunities Public Report 2009.

 

In 2010 we conducted energy efficiency assessments on the Maersk Ngujima-Yin and Angel facilities. The results are published in our Energy Efficiency Opportunities Public Report 2010.

The 2011 reporting represents the final in the five-year cycle. As all facilities have been previously assessed no new Energy Efficiency Opportunity assessments were reported for 2011. However, the EEO requires that investigations for all opportunities previously reported as being “under investigation”, be finalised. All reported statistics for 2011 now exclude Otway, as Woodside sold its interest in the Otway Gas project in March 2010.

 

During the first five-year cycle, Woodside identified and assessed 103 energy efficiency opportunities, equating to 12% of Woodside’s energy use. 71 opportunities, accounting for 70% of total energy savings, have been or are scheduled to be implemented.

 

The results are published in our Energy Efficiency Public Report 2011.

 

 

Water Use

The majority of the freshwater we use is consumed in the production of gas at our Karratha Gas Plan (KGP). A water management plan has been in place in respect of the KGP for many years.Our offshore production facilities produce freshwater through reverse osmosis units. We also commissioned additional desalination capacity for general construction activities at the Pluto LNG Park in 2009.

We continue to improve the methods for recording our water usage and identify water efficiency initiatives as part of the development of a Woodside-wide water management strategy.

The table below, which appeared in Woodside’s 2010 Sustainable Development Report, compares resource use for the past 5 years.