The Gladstone Area Water Board is building a $100 million pipline that will carry water from the mainland to Curtis Island where four coal seam gas liquification plants are being built.

 

The pipline will be laid 70 metres under the Gladstone harbour as part of a project to install water and sewer on Curtis Island.

 

In an interview with the ABC, project leader, Jim Murphy, said directional drilling technology was being used to cover a total drill of about 2,200 metres, drilling both from the island and from the mainland.

 

An American Auger 1080 is being used,  with a push-and-pull capacity of one million pounds making it one of the largest in the world.

 

Gladstone Water Board CEO Jim Grayson said the directional drilling technology has has had minimal effect on the harbour and as a result of the pipeline there will be no need for desalination plants on the island in the long-term.

 

He said the LNG proponents on the island are funding the new infrastructure.