Rick Wilkinson
OGJ Correspondent
MELBOURNE, Apr. 25 -- Indian-owned Burrup Fertilisers Pty. Ltd. has started production from its $800 million (Aus.) ammonia plant on the Burrup Peninsula of northwest Western Australia, where an LNG plant is planned.
The new facility can produce as much as 760,000 tonnes/year of liquid ammonia using natural gas from fields on the North West Shelf under a 25 year take-or-pay contract.
Indian agriculture will use fertilizer made from the ammonia. The first shipment is scheduled for mid-May.
Woodside Energy Ltd. has chosen the Burrup Peninsula as the site for its Pluto field LNG plant, site work for which is to begin in December (OGJ Online, Mar. 22, 2006).
Pluto field lies about 190 km northwest of the peninsula. The development project is being hurried to take advantage of rising LNG demand.
A final investment decision is expected by mid-2007, with first LNG production timed for late 2010-11.
