By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Aug. 5 -- Woodside Energy Ltd., operator of Thylacine and Geographe gas discoveries in the Otway area, off southwestern Victoria, said that environmental assessments of field development proposals are under way for the project. Woodside's Otway Development Manager Bruce Steenson said that more than $15 million (Aus.) would be committed to development studies this year.
"We are now focusing on progressing the feasibility of some of these (development) options, which include several new wells, subsea manifolds and flowlines, and possibly a small offshore platform over one of the fields, with a pipeline to shore, where the gas will be processed and connected to the Victorian gas transmission pipeline network," Steenson said.
Steenson said the Australian Commonwealth and Victorian governments would be jointly responsible for issuing environmental approvals for the gas fields' development.
The fields, which lie 55-70 km south of Port Campbell, are expected to contain gas sufficient to provide more than 10% of current annual demand in southeastern Australia for at least 10 years. Recoverable reserves for the combined Geographe and Thylacine fields are estimated at 0.8 tcf of gas and 9 million bbl of condensate.
Steenson said the partners' goal would be to book reserves at yearend. Initial screening studies gave the partners reason to believe the fields could be developed in time to provide gas to customers in Victoria and South Australia in 2006.
Woodside operates the Otway gas discoveries on behalf of two joint ventures: Participants in VIC/P43 (Geographe) are Woodside Energy Ltd. 55%, Origin Energy Resources Ltd. 30%, and CalEnergy Gas (Australia) Ltd. 15%.
Participants in T/30P (Thylacine) are Woodside Energy Ltd 50%, Origin Energy Resources Ltd. 30%, and Benaris International NV 20%.
