The purpose of this publication is to provide information to assist registered participants and other persons in making informed decisions about investment in pipeline capacity and other aspects of the natural gas industry.

AEMO publishes this Gas Statement of Opportunities in accordance with section 91DA of the National Gas Law and Part 15D of the National Gas Rules.

This publication is generally based on information available to AEMO as at 17 February 2022, unless otherwise indicated.

Key findings:

• Future gas needs are highly uncertain.
• Gas is forecast to have a continuing role in the integrated energy system, including a critical role for gas generation of electricity in the National Electricity Market (NEM).
• In the short term, new greenfield infrastructure solutions are unlikely to be operating in time for the earliest identified risk of gas shortfalls, in winter 2023. Brownfield solutions, such as duplication of the Winchelsea compressor on the South West Pipeline (SWP), may still be possible and improve supply available to south-eastern demand centres. Otherwise, the most likely lever to mitigate these risks is demand management at times of peak gas demand (in particular, reducing how much gas is used at these times to generate electricity).