INPEX CORPORATION announced that the INPEX-operated Ichthys LNG Project commenced gas export pipeline (GEP) installation works on June 28, following the earlier arrival of the Saipem-operated, semi-submersible pipelay barge SEMAC-1 in the Northern Territory.
The Project’s 889 kilometre GEP will connect the onshore processing facilities near Darwin to the Ichthys gas-condensate field in the Browse Basin, offshore Western Australia.

Managing Director Ichthys LNG Project Louis Bon said that the SEMAC-1 had officially started the 164 kilometre shallow water pipelay component of the GEP installation, which includes laying the first 18 kilometre section of 42-inch diameter pipe through Darwin Harbour.

“The gas export pipeline will deliver gas and some condensate from our offshore central processing facility to the Ichthys LNG Project onshore facilities at Bladin Point near Darwin so that it can be processed for export,” Mr Bon said.

“The commencement of the pipelay work means we are starting to physically connect our home base in Darwin to the Ichthys gas-condensate field where our semi-submersible offshore facilities will be permanently moored for the life of the Project.”
Working from east to west in Darwin Harbour, the SEMAC-1 will first feed pipe to the Project’s landfall site for a three kilometre shore-pull. This work supports the onshore component of the GEP, which will stretch about seven kilometres from the beach valve at Middle Arm to the Bladin Point onshore processing facilities.

The SEMAC-1 is scheduled to be in Darwin Harbour for about four weeks. In total, the 164 kilometre shallow water pipelay installation is scheduled to take about 80 days. Once completed, the SEMAC-1 will transfer work to Saipem’s deep water installation vessel, Castorone, which will lay the remaining 718 kilometres of pipe to the Ichthys gas-condensate field.

International oil and gas contracting service provider Saipem is the engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contractor for the Ichthys LNG Project’s GEP and has extensive experience on similar large diameter pipeline projects around the world.

About the Ichthys LNG Project

The Ichthys LNG Project is a Joint Venture between INPEX group companies (the Operator), major partner TOTAL and the Australian subsidiaries of Tokyo Gas, Osaka Gas, Chubu Electric Power and Toho Gas. Gas from the Ichthys Field, in the Browse Basin offshore Western Australia, will undergo preliminary processing offshore to remove water and raw liquids, including condensate. The gas will then be exported to the onshore processing facilities in Darwin via an 889km pipeline. The Ichthys LNG Project is expected to produce 8.4 million tonnes of LNG and 1.6 million tonnes of LPG per annum, along with approximately 100,000 barrels of condensate per day at peak. Detailed Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) of the Ichthys LNG Project is ongoing and production is scheduled to commence by the end of 2016. With an expected operational life of at least 40 years, the Ichthys LNG Project offers rare multi-generational opportunities to communities, economies, businesses, energy markets and its workforce.

About INPEX

INPEX CORPORATION is a worldwide oil and gas exploration and production company based in Tokyo, Japan, with more than 70 active projects across 27 countries. Since 1966, INPEX has been growing steadily, from its core business areas in Australia and Indonesia to the Middle East, the Caspian Sea region, the Gulf of Mexico and North and South America.

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