By the OGJ Online Staff
HOUSTON, June 22 -- The South Australian Cooper Basin Producers joint venture said Friday that the Moomba gas-processing complex is back at 85% of production.
An explosion and fire damaged the liquids pumping station at the Moomba complex June 16, killing one person. The pump station moves up to 40,000 b/d of crude and liquids from Moomba to Port Bonython near Whyalla (OGJ Online, June 18, 2001).
Santos Ltd., operator of the plant, said the accident did not affect gas production and supply from Moomba, which was processing around 700 terajoules/day.
Production of condensate remained at the normal 10,000 b/d but was being stored. Half of daily condensate production was being trucked to the Jackson facility in southwest Queensland for transport to Brisbane through the Jackson-Moonie-Brisbane pipeline.
Ethane production resumed June 19 and was 500-700 tonnes/day, or 60-70% of normal levels.
South Australian oil production of 8,000 b/d remains shut in. Southwest Queensland oil and gas production was not affected.
LPG production, about 1,300 tonnes/day, was being redirected into sales gas or flared.
Santos said investigations into the cause of the accident and needed repairs are continuing. It plans to install alternative pumping facilities to export oil and condensate through the Moomba-Port Bonython pipeline.
Santos said the joint venture has insurance policies on property damage and business interruption. The deductible is $22 million (Aus.).
It operates the joint venture with a 59.75% interest. Other participants are Delhi Petroleum Pty. Ltd. 20.21%, Origin Energy Resources Ltd. 13.19%, Novus Australia Resources NL 4.75%, and Basin Oil Pty. Ltd. (OMV Aust. Pty. Ltd.) 2.10%.