Santos's Barossa Gas Pipeline Delayed by Australian Court

By Stuart Condie

SYDNEY--Santos's attempt to lay a pipeline through a gas field off Australia's north coast has been held up after a court granted an interim injunction delaying the start of the project.

The Australian energy explorer on Thursday said that Australia's Federal Court had granted an injunction delaying the commencement of the laying of the Barossa gas export pipeline until Nov. 13, following allegations that the project could affect submerged sites of cultural importance to the indigenous inhabitants of the nearby Tiwi Islands.

Tiwi Islander Simon Munkara wants the court to force Santos to revise and resubmit its environmental plan for the project, the company said.

The court will decide on Nov. 13 whether to further extend the injunction. Santos said a pipe-laying vessel will remain in Darwin, in Australia's Northern Territory, pending the decision.

The company said it will assess any impact to the project's cost guidance and schedule if the injunction is extended.

Write to Stuart Condie at stuart.condie@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 02, 2023 00:06 ET (04:06 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.