AUSTRALIA TO GET FIRST SHORE LINKED SUBSEA PRODUCTION FACILITY

Australia soon could have its first fully automated subsea production facility linked directly to shore. Western Mining Corp. Ltd. (WMC), Melbourne, plans the installation as part of its $250 million (Australian) proposal to develop East Spar gas/condensate field in the Carnarvon basin off Western Australia (OGJ, Jan. 2, P. 21). In a further effort to keep costs low, WMC will build the project's processing plant on Varanus Island. Site will be alongside Harriet fields' gas processing

July 10, 1995

2 min read

Australia soon could have its first fully automated subsea production facility linked directly to shore.

Western Mining Corp. Ltd. (WMC), Melbourne, plans the installation as part of its $250 million (Australian) proposal to develop East Spar gas/condensate field in the Carnarvon basin off Western Australia (OGJ, Jan. 2, P. 21).

In a further effort to keep costs low, WMC will build the project's processing plant on Varanus Island. Site will be alongside Harriet fields' gas processing plant.

Thus the two fields will have combined deliverability of about 336 MMcfd through the present spur pipeline that links the mainland trunk line from Dampier to Bunbury in Southwest Western Australia.

Equally important will be the link between the Dampier-Bunbury line and the 1,400 km Dampier-Goldfields gas pipeline that is being laid to connect offshore fields with Pilbara iron and Kalgoorlie nickel and gold producing operations.

East Spar condensate production of more than 3,000 b/d will move directly from Varanus Island by tanker.

The subsea production facility in East Spar will be linked by telemetry umbilical to Varanus Island, 65 km southeast of the field. This will control gas and condensate delivery into the pipeline to the island.

Two 112 MMcfd gas production trains will be installed (in the island beside the two Harriet trains, which are each being expanded to a 56 MMcfd capacity.

This arrangement also benefits from environmental approvals currently in place for existing Varanus Island facilities.

Commissioning of East Spar is expected by yearend 1996. The first gas sales will be 34.4 MMcfd to WMC's nickel and gold operations in Kalgoorlie province.

East Spar gas reserves are an estimated 350 bcf.

Interest owners are operator WMC 30%, Ampolex Ltd. 35%, Apache Energy 20%. and Parker & Parsley 15%