Australia: Ichthys LNG Project Begins Gas Exports
Paris – Total announces that the first cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Ichthys LNG has left Darwin, in the Northern Territory of Australia, following the production start-up at the end of July.
Ichthys LNG will develop reserves of more than 3 billion barrels of oil equivalent located offshore Western Australia, including around 500 million barrels of condensate. At full capacity, the offshore facilities and the two-train onshore liquefaction plant will supply 8.9 million tons per year (Mt/y) of LNG and 1.65 Mt/y of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), along with 100,000 barrels of condensate per day.
LNG is currently being produced from the first liquefaction train, with the second train expected to start up as well in the coming weeks.
About Ichthys LNG
Ichthys LNG is led by INPEX (operator, 62.245%) alongside major partner Total (30%) and the Australian subsidiaries of CPC Corporation Taiwan (2.625%), Tokyo Gas (1.575%), Osaka Gas (1.2%), Kansai Electric Power (1.2%), JERA (0.735%) and Toho Gas (0.42%).
The project involves:
- Two offshore floating platforms
The Ichthys field and its offshore production facilities are located approximately 220 km off the coast of Western Australia. Two offshore facilities anchored in 250 meters of water and supplied by a subsea production network operate in tandem: a semi-submersible platform (CPF, Central Processing Facility) for gas treatment, linked to an FPSO (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading) facility for condensate production and export.
- A subsea pipeline to the LNG plant
A 890-km-long subsea gas pipeline connects the CPF to the liquefaction plant near Darwin.
- An onshore liquefaction plant
The onshore gas liquefaction is located at Bladin Point, near Darwin in the Northern Territory. It consists of two LNG trains with a combined capacity of 8.9 million tons per year and facilities for the extraction and the export of LPGs and condensate.
Total has been active in the upstream oil and gas industry in Australia since 2005. In addition to the Ichthys LNG project, Total has, in Queensland, a 27.5% interest alongside Santos (operator), Petronas and Kogas in the GLNG Coal Seam Gas-to-LNG project. Offshore, Total has interests in three exploration licenses in the Browse and Bonaparte Basins.