Rick Wilkinson
OGJ Correspondent
MELBOURNE, Aug. 3 -- Success of Woodside Petroleum Ltd.'s Pluto-2 appraisal well on the North West Shelf off Western Australia could lead to the construction of a sixth LNG train on the Burrup Peninsula, the company said.
Pluto-2, thought to define the southernmost limits of the Pluto accumulation, penetrated a gross natural gas column of 63 m. The well is 8.5 km south of the Pluto-1 discovery in Woodside's 100% owned Carnarvon basin permit WA-350-P. Woodside estimates the field has about 3 tcf of natural gas and said it would make a decision before yearend about further Pluto appraisals.
The field lies 15 km from ChevronTexaco's Wheatstone gas discovery made last year, which contains an estimated 2 tcf of gas. Together, the discoveries could provide sufficient gas to supply a 4-5 million tonne/year LNG train for 20 years, Woodside said.
Both companies are partners in the North West Shelf gas consortium, which operates prolific North Rankin gas field offshore and the onshore LNG liquefaction plant and terminal.
The fields are more than 100 km from the North Rankin production hub and its pipeline connections to the onshore facilities.