The ConocoPhillips-operated joint venture in the Timor Sea off the Northern Territory has let a contract for the construction of an export pipeline in Barossa natural gas field development to Swiss company Allseas Group SA.
The contract is for engineering, procurement, construction, and installation of the 260-km subsea pipeline that will tie Barossa field (and later, nearby Caldita field) 300 km north of Darwin into the existing Bayu Undan-Darwin gas pipeline, which supplies gas to the ConocoPhillips-operated Darwin LNG plant. Barossa-Caldita gas is slotted to backfill supply to the existing LNG plant to bolster the flow from the depleting Bayu Undan field.
The Barossa project is currently in the front-end engineering and design phase and includes a floating production, storage, and offloading facility, subsea production infrastructure, and the gas export pipeline.
The project area encompasses retention license NT/RL5.
Kevin Gallagher, managing director and chief executive officer of JV participant Santos Ltd., said the pipeline contract award is another significant step towards a final investment decision for the Barossa project and follows the award of the subsea production system and installation support contract to Technip Oceana Pty. Ltd. in May. FID is expected in early 2020.
Gallagher added that evaluation of tenders for the FPSO and development drilling contracts is well advanced.
ConocoPhillips is operator of the Barossa-Caldita JV with 37.5%. SK E&S has 37.5% and Santos, 25%.