Woodside releases draft EIS for Browse LNG project

Nov. 19, 2014
Woodside Petroleum Ltd. has released its draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the proposed Browse LNG project offshore Western Australia.

Woodside Petroleum Ltd. has released its draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the proposed Browse LNG project offshore Western Australia.

The document reaffirms that a floating LNG (FLNG) development is the most likely and commercially viable option, although it gives no indication of possible production figures. Instead the statement says the FLNG proposal is nearing completion of the “base of design” (BOD) phase.

Woodside says the front-end engineering and design phase will reach completion 12 months after the completion of the BOD phase. This is expected to lead to a final investment decision (FID) with offshore drilling likely to start 2 years after that.

Commissioning of the FLNG facilities would probably happen 5-8 years after a successful FID. The project’s production phase would have a 40 to 50-year lifespan.

The Woodside joint venture has submitted applications for the renewal of the retention leases surrounding the three gas fields—Torosa, Brecknock, and Calliance—that make up the project.

As many as three FLNG facilities measuring 488 m long and 78 m wide are planned, each capable of producing 3.9 million tonnes/year of LNG and 17,000-22,000 b/d of condensate. However there also is the possibility of moving one of the FLNG vessels around to different locations on the three targeted fields.

This latter scenario could see two FLNG vessels at Brecknock and Calliance reservoirs for about half the reservoir life, and two facilities at the Torosa reservoir for half that reservoir’s life.

Development includes setting up three drill centers at Brecknock and Calliance, with five at Torosa. There would also be construction of the usual other subsea infrastructure, including manifolds, flowlines, umbilicals, risers, and moorings.

A total of 64 production wells are likely.

The project will potential target as much as 11.7 million tpy of LNG and 66,000 b/d of condensate.

The fields have an estimated contingent reserve of 15 tcf of gas and 441 million bbl of condensate. They lie about 425 km north of Broome.

Public comment for the draft EIS will close on Dec. 19.

JV members are Woodside, BP PLC, Japan Australia LNG, and PetroChina.