Woodside begins building Pluto LNG Train 2

Aug. 24, 2022
Woodside Energy Group Ltd. and Bechtel Corp. have begun work on 5-million tonne/year (tpy) Pluto LNG Train 2 near Karratha, Western Australia.

Woodside Energy Group Ltd. and Bechtel Corp. have begun work on 5-million tonne/year (tpy) Pluto LNG Train 2 near Karratha, Western Australia. The second production train at Woodside’s existing 3-million tpy Pluto LNG onshore plant will process gas from its Scarborough offshore development in Carnarvon basin, 375 km offshore.

Bechtel will perform project engineering, procurement, and construction. The company has begun site preparation, with initial earthworks in laydown and storage areas to start before end-2022. Woodside anticipates loading of the first cargo from Train 2 during 2026.

Construction of Train 2 will occur within existing Pluto LNG boundaries. A 225-terajoule/day gas plant will also be built to supply domestic customers.

Woodside last month let a contract to acquire a 4D baseline seismic survey over Scarborough and Jupiter natural gas fields on the Exmouth Plateau offshore Western Australia (OGJ Online, July 7, 2022). The company estimates Scarborough dry gas reserves of 11.1 tcf. A 430-km pipeline will deliver gas to Pluto Train 2. 

Development of Scarborough will include installation of a semisubmersible floating production unit (FPU) with eight wells drilled in the initial phase and 13 wells drilled over the life of the field. All wells will be tied back to the FPU, moored in 950 m of water.