Construction of the Goodwyn A platform, needed to sustain the contract volume of Australia's liquefied natural gas exports, has fallen behind schedule.
Construction of the $80 million (U.S.) jacket at the PT McDermott yard on Indonesia's Batam Island is reported 20% behind the original timetable. Construction of topside modules in South Korea and Western Australia also has run into delays.
That probably kills any prospect for early start of the Goodwyn gas/condensate field development. Goodwyn development is part of the Northwest Shelf LNG project's third phase, expected to cost $2.5 billion (Australian), that includes construction of a third LNG train at the Burrup Peninsula LNG export complex.
However, Woodside Petroleum Pty. Ltd., operator for the Northwest Shelf group of companies, expects the Goodwyn project to meet its start-up deadline of October 1992. The Goodwyn project currently stands at a little less than 60% completion.
The project calls for producing gas and condensate and reinjecting the gas during the first few years of field life. Goodwyn condensate production, expected to reach about 60,000 b/d in the mid-1990s, will be delivered by pipeline from Goodwyn A to the North Rankin A production platform, then to separation, storage, and shipping facilities at the Burrup complex.
EXPANDED CONTRACTS
Goodwyn development will support development of more gas supplies needed under expanded contracts with eight Japanese gas utility customers. The Woodside group recently disclosed plans to hike its LNG export commitment to Japan by 1 million metric tons/year and order an eighth LNG carrier to be built in Japan (OGJ, Nov. 25, 1991, Newsletter).
The new contract will fully use existing surplus capacity at the Burrup gas plant. Any further supply commitments will require construction of a fourth train at the LNG plant.
The $13 billion (Australian) Northwest Shelf project started deliveries to Japan in July 1989. Exports have risen to 4 million tons/year with five vessels making the 19 day round trip from the loading terminal at Dampier on the Western Australia coast to receiving terminals in Japan.
A sixth vessel, Northwest Sea Eagle, was to enter service in November. The seventh has been ordered.
Partners in the LNG project are Woodside, Chevron Asiatic, BP Australia, Japan Australia LNG (MiMi), and Shell Development Australia.
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