 | |
| Formerly | NGC, Vector Gas |
|---|---|
| Industry | Natural gas transmission and distribution |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Mark Ratcliffe (chair) |
| Brands | Firstgas |
Number of employees | 130 |
| Website | firstgas |
First Gas Limited is a natural gas transmission and distribution company in New Zealand. First Gas's network has 2,204 km of high pressure pipelines and 4,800 km of gas distribution pipelines. [1] Through Flex Gas, First Gas owns and operates the Ahuroa Gas Storage Facility.
The Natural Gas Corporation (NGC) was established by the New Zealand government to buy, process, and wholesale natural gas from the Kapuni gas field, which was discovered in 1959. [2] NGC built the first high pressure gas transmission lines in the late 1960s, initially supplying Kapuni gas to Auckland, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Wanganui, Palmerston North, and Wellington. The network was expanded through the 1970s and 1980s, supporting the major expansion of the oil and gas industry at that time. [3]
NGC was privatised in 1992. [2] The Australian Gas Light (AGL) sold NGC to Vector Limited in 2004 and 2005. The company was again sold in 2016 to First State Funds, being renamed First Gas during the acquisition. [4]
In 2016, First Gas purchased the Maui natural gas pipeline from Maui Development for $335 million. At that time, ownership of Maui Development was between Shell (84%), OMV NZ (10%) and Todd Energy (6%). [5]
In 2017, First Gas purchased the Ahuroa Gas Storage Facility from Contact Energy.
The First Gas transmission system has two major systems: the Kapuni system and the Māui system. [6]
The Kapuni system originates at the Kapuni Gas Treatment Plant in South Taranaki and consists of two major sections: northern and southern.
The southern section travels south via Whanganui to Himatangi, west of Palmerston North. From there, one branch continues south to supply the Wellington area, while another extends east to serve Palmerston North and Hawke's Bay.
The northern section travels north via Waitara (with a lateral branch supplying New Plymouth) to Pokuru, southwest of Te Awamutu. From Pokuru, one branch continues north via Hamilton and Auckland to terminate at Kauri, north of Whangārei. The other another extends via Kinleith and Kawerau, supplying southern Waikato and Bay of Plenty, and terminating at Gisborne.
The Māui system carries approximately 78% of New Zealand’s natural gas. [5] The main pipeline is 307 km long, running from the Oaonui Production Station north of Ōpunake to the Huntly Power Station in Huntly.
A major branch, the Frankley Road sub-system, connects the Māui system at Frankley Road (near New Plymouth) to both the Stratford Power Station and the Kapuni system at the Kapuni Gas Treatment Plant. The Māui system also has additional interconnections with the northern Kapuni system at Pokuru and at Rotowaro, west of Huntly.
First Gas owns and operates the natural gas distribution networks in Northland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, and the Kapiti Coast. [7]
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total pipeline length | 4,996 km |
| Intermediate pressure (700–2000 kPa) | 175 km |
| Medium pressure (7–700 kPa) | 4,752 km |
| Low pressure (<7 kPa) | 69 km |
| Customer connections | 67,994 |
| System maximum demand | 34.02 TJ/day |
| System gas delivered | 9,096 TJ |