Japan's Inpex completed the installation of a complex network of subsea infrastructure designed to support the extraction of gas and condensate for the Ichthys liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, offshore Western Australia.
The final laying of 49km of umbilicals and flying leads marked the last placement of an intricate subsea network, spread across a 400sq km area of the Ichthys field, in the Browse basin, about 220km offshore Western Australia.
Ichthys project managing director Louis Bon described the safe execution of a number of installation campaigns to complete the subsea infrastructure milestone on schedule as an "outstanding achievement."
“Since October 2014, hundreds of people have worked offshore without any significant safety incidents to install the Ichthys LNG project’s 133,000-tonne subsea network,” he said.
“Carrying out this work more than 200km out to sea in water depths of around 250m involves substantial planning and logistical challenges to manage crew changes and equipment transportation.
“Safely completing these complex tasks is a tribute to the world-class processes we have in place and the commitment of our personnel to ensure the protection of our people and the environment,” he added.
Included in the extensive subsea gathering system is an 110m high riser support structure, five manifolds, 139km of flowlines, 49km of umbilicals and flying leads, 2640 tonne of production and MEG spools, five subsea distribution units and a subsea distribution hub.
Finalizing the subsea installation, Ichthys LNG is now ready for the arrival of the central processing facility and floating production, storage, and offloading facilities, currently under commissioning in South Korea.
Once all commissioning activities in the South Korean shipyards are finished, the offshore facilities will be towed to the Ichthys field and moored for their 40-year operational life by 40,000 tonne of chain secured to more than 25,000 tonne of foundation piles.
The Ichthys LNG project incorporates some of the world’s biggest and most advanced offshore facilities off the Western Australian coast, massive onshore processing facilities in the Northern Territory, and an 890km pipeline to unite them.
Image: Ichthys mooring chains / Inpex
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