Cooper Energy completes offshore phase of Sole field development

March 18, 2019
Cooper Energy Ltd., Adelaide, has completed the offshore construction phase of its wholly owned Sole gas field development in Bass Strait. The company said installation and testing of the 67-km control umbilical connecting the field’s two subsea production wells to the onshore processing plant near Orbost on the east Gippsland coast was finalized last week.

Cooper Energy Ltd., Adelaide, has completed the offshore construction phase of its wholly owned Sole gas field development in Bass Strait.

The company said installation and testing of the 67-km control umbilical connecting the field’s two subsea production wells to the onshore processing plant near Orbost on the east Gippsland coast was finalized last week.

There is still work remaining to repair a damaged section of the subsea pipeline, but this will be done in April so that the $355-million (Aus.) offshore project will be completed, ready, and available to deliver gas to the APA Group’s Orbost plant by the end of May.

APA’s $250-million (Aus.) upgrade of the gas plant to process Sole production is slated for completion during this year’s third quarter, although gas is expected to be introduced to the system prior to plant completion for commissioning and subsequent plant performance tests.

Sole field lies in about 65 km offshore on retention lease Vic/RL3 in 124 m of water. The field will supply about 24 petajoules/year of gas with about 75% of the field’s reserves contracted to a range of utility and industrial customers including AGL Energy, EnergyAustralia, Alinta Energy, and O-I.

Gas will be delivered from the Orbost plant into the Eastern Gas Trunkline, which extends up Australia’s east coast to Sydney.

Sole field was originally discovered by Shell Australia in 1973, but deemed subcommercial, especially since there are no liquids present with the gas. The field subsequently changed hands many times until Cooper Energy became 100% owner when the company bought Santos Ltd.’s 50% share in October 2016 (OGJ Online, Oct. 24, 2016).