North West Shelf Project

The North West Shelf Project (NWS), also known as the North West Shelf Venture, is an Australian resource development project, extracting natural gas from under the ocean from the North West Shelf off the coast of Western Australia. Running since the 1980s, it is Australia's largest such project. It involves the extraction of petroleum (mostly natural gas and condensate) at offshore production platforms, onshore processing at the Karratha Gas Plant, and production of natural gas for industrial, commercial, and domestic use within the state, as well as the export of liquefied natural gas. The Karratha Gas Plant, which is located on the Murujuga Cultural Landscape (Burrup Peninsula), is operated by Woodside Energy. At least 5,000 sacred rock art sites were destroyed for the construction of the North West Shelf. The project has faced opposition from Ngarda-ngarli, Traditional Owners, of Murujuga since inception. The plant supplies up to 15 per cent of Western Australia's gas needs, with the rest exported overseas; none flows to the eastern states.

It was owned by a joint venture of six partners – BHP, BP, Chevron, Shell, Woodside Petroleum and a 50:50 joint venture between Mitsubishi and Mitsui & Co – with each holding an equal one-sixth shareholding. Along with being a joint venture partner, Woodside is the project operator on behalf of the other participants. In June 2022, BHP Petroleum merged with Woodside Energy, giving Woodside Energy a one-third shareholding in the project.

In 2020–2021, the North West Shelf Project was the single largest industrial emitter for Australia, according to the Clean Energy Regulator. The project was planned to be shut down in 2030, but, after the federal government spent six years assessing the matter, on 12 September 2025 Environment Minister Murray Watt gave final approval for the extension of the project until 2070, raising environmental and cultural concerns.