Inpex Australia has contracted Maersk Drilling’s Maersk Deliverer ultradeepwater semisubmersible drilling rig for work on the Ichthys gas and condensate field in the Browse basin offshore northwestern Western Australia.
The 3-year contract is valued at $300 million and includes mobilization as well as two 1-year options.
Maersk said the contract is expected to begin during second-quarter 2020.
The rig is currently operating offshore Timor Leste.
Ichthys field lies in 250 m of water about 220 km offshore.
The field contains an estimated 12 tcf of gas and 500 million bbl of condensate.
Gas production started from the field in July 2018. First condensate loading took place from the offshore location in early October 2018 and first LNG shipment from the Darwin plant came later the same month.
At peak the project will produce 8.9 million tonnes/year of LNG, 1.6 tpy of LPG, and 100,000 b/d of condensate.
Inpex has 62.245% and operatorship of the Ichthys project. Partners include Total 30%, CPC Corp. Taiwan 2.625%, Tokyo Gas 1.575%, Chubu Electric Power 0.735%, and Toho Gas 0.42%.