ICHTHYS DELAYED AGAIN

INPEX has announced further delays at its majority owned Ichthys project, with production slated to begin within the next few months. On 26 March, INPEX said commissioning required for production start-up was now expected to be completed between April and May, with production and shipment of condensate liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to begin thereafter. First production was originally scheduled at the end of 2016, however was pushed back to the September 2017 quarter, and then the March quarter 2018, following a review of the project’s development schedule. INPEX said it has already completed drilling the production wells required for start-up, and the necessary commissioning of the first train at the onshore gas liquefaction plant, Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facility, and subsea production systems. “While the project’s activity schedule going forward may fluctuate depending on weather conditions at the worksites, preparation activities and other factors, INPEX will continue to work toward the success of the Ichthys LNG Project with the understanding and cooperation of all its stakeholders, including the project’s joint venture partners, the local communities, the Australian Federal government and the governments of Western Australia and the Northern Territory,” INPEX said. Once developed, the project will have an operational life of more than 40 years, producing and shipping about 8.9 million tonnes of LNG and 1.65 million tonnes of LPG a year, and 100,000 barrels of condensate per day at peak.

Image: INPEX. An aerial view of the Ichthys onshore gas liquefaction plant.