Japan's INPEX has launched the central processing facility (CPF) for its US$34 billion Ichthys LNG Project offshore Australia.
The CPF, billed as the world's largest semisubmersible by INPEX, was launched from Samsung Heavy Industries' offshore floating dock in Geoje, South Korea, where the CPF is being constructed.
The launch comes just weeks after INPEX revised the start-up date for the Ichthys project, from December 2016 to 3Q 2017, following a detailed schedule review. While other projects offshore Australia have seen major cost blowouts and delays, INPEX says the delay to the start-up of the 12 Tcf gas and 500 MMbo condensate Ichthys field, will result in a just 10% cost increase and that production rates will be higher from the development.
The field will have 50 wells is in about 260m water depth in the Browse Basin offshore northwest Australia.
The 150m x 110m CPF, which will gather natural gas and condensate from the Ichtyhs field's subsea wells, is now berthed quayside at the shipyard, where work is continuing to lift and install the living quarters and integrate and commission all equipment before the unit's sailaway.
Construction on the CPF, also Australia's first semisubmersible production unit, started in January 2013. Once complete, the CPF, will be towed 5600km to the Ichthys field where it will be permanently moored for the life of the project – more than 40 years. Condensate extracted from the process will be transferred to a nearby floating production, storage and offloading facility, being built by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering in South Korea, for offshore processing, with gas piped 889km to shore to a liquifaction facility. According to INPEX, the mooring chains on the CPF and FPSO weigh together 40,000-tonne.
INPEX President Director Australia Seiya Ito said the successful launch was one of the project’s most significant achievements. “To see this enormous facility in the water is a testament to those who have worked for years to make it a reality,” Ito said. “This milestone is a clear demonstration that the Ichthys LNG Project is making good progress and that we are working in an excellent spirit of cooperation with our Korean contractors.”
Images from Ichthys
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