Woodside Energy has let an engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCm) contract to KBR for work on the Woodside-operated Pluto LNG plant near Karratha, Western Australia.
Under the contract, KBR will undertake modifications to the existing Train 1 which will enable it to process up to 3 million tonnes/year (tpy) of Scarborough gas (OGJ Online, Aug. 8, 2023). Pluto LNG currently processes gas from Pluto and Xena gas fields offshore Western Australia.
Scarborough gas field lies about 375 km off the coast of Western Australia. The project will include installation of a floating production unit with eight wells drilled in the initial phase and 13 wells drilled over the life of the field.
Gas will be transported for processing at Pluto LNG through a new trunkline of about 430 km in length. Some 5 million tpy of Scarborough gas will be processed through Pluto Train 2, with up to 3 million tpy processed through Pluto Train 1. First LNG cargo is targeted for 2026.