Alinta acquired the pipeline earlier this year. Orica’s existing contract is scheduled to expire in 2006. The new agreement will extend from 2006 until 2016.
Meanwhile an Alinta-led consortium is bidding for the $550 million Northern Territory pipeline project. The pipeline will carry gas 940km from the Blacktip field in the Territory's north-west to the Alcan aluminium refinery in Gove, north-east Arnhem Land.
Alinta’s consortium partners are Multiplex Group, Babcock and Brown Ltd and Italian oilfield contractor Saipem.
They are competing against two other consortiums. One is made up of Spie Capag Australia/AJ Lucas Group joint venture, Australian Pipeline Trust and ANZ Infrastructure Services (ANZIS). The other comprises Victorian natural gas supplier, GasNet, Macquarie Bank and engineering and construction group McConnell Dowell.
