Wallumbilla Gas Hub
The Wallumbilla Gas Hub is the interconnection point for 9 key APA and non-APA owned pipelines in Queensland
The WGH plays a crucial role in connecting gas producers in Queensland's Surat and Bowen Basins to major Australian markets and export facilities.
These pipelines connect gas from the Surat and Bowen supply regions to various demand centres in Greater Brisbane, Gladstone, as well as southern markets via the South West Queensland Pipeline (SWQP).
The 9 Pipelines at Wallumbilla operate at different pressures. To facilitate gas being moved between these interconnected pipelines, APA provides compression services (to pressurise the gas for entry into a pipeline) and redirection services (to transport the gas from one pipeline delivery point to another pipeline receipt point) at Wallumbilla.
In 2014 AEMO implemented a Gas Supply Hub (GSH) at Wallumbilla. In 2016 the trading location at Moomba was established, enabling participants in southern markets to trade under the same market framework and rules as at Wallumbilla. In 2017 the three trading locations at Wallumbilla were replaced with a single Wallumbilla location. The new location improves market liquidity by allowing participants across different pipelines to more easily trade with each other.
The Wallumbilla Compressor Station (WCS) has nine compressors in three sections. WCS 1 and 2 each have three reciprocating compressors, using a piston and cylinder mechanism to compress gas in stages. WCS 3 has three Solar turbine compressors, which use a gas turbine to drive a centrifugal compressor and continuous rotary motion to compress gas efficiently.