INPEX CORPORATION (INPEX) announced the INPEX-operated Ichthys LNG Project safely completed the offshore pipelay for its 890-kilometer, 42-inch diameter gas export pipeline that began in June 2014.

It is the longest subsea pipeline in the southern hemisphere and the third longest subsea pipeline in the world.

The gas export pipeline will deliver gas from the Ichthys Gas-condensate Field to the onshore facilities at Bladin Point near Darwin for processing.

“Completion of the offshore pipelay marks a significant milestone for the project,” Managing Director Ichthys Project Louis Bon said. “It means we are one step closer to physically connecting our onshore plant near Darwin to the Ichthys Field where our offshore facilities will be permanently moored for the 40-year life of the Project.”

The pipeline has been installed by Saipem’s SEMAC and CASTORONE barges from Darwin to the Ichthys Field.

INPEX will conduct other necessary work on the pipeline in preparation for operational start-up.

About the Ichthys LNG Project

The Ichthys LNG Project is a project led by INPEX (Operator, participating interest: 62.245%) alongside TOTAL (participating interest: 30%), CPC Corporation Taiwan (participating Pipelay Map interest: 2.625%), Tokyo Gas (participating interest: 1.575%), Osaka Gas (participating interest: 1.2%), Kansai Electric (participating interest: 1.2%), Chubu Electric Power (participating interest: 0.735%) and Toho Gas (participating interest: 0.42%) that involves liquefying natural gas lifted from the Ichthys Gas-condensate Field offshore Western Australia at an onshore gas liquefaction plant constructed in Darwin, Northern Territory, and capacity to produce approximately 8.9 million tons of LNG and approximately 1.6 million tons of LPG per year, along with approximately 100,000 barrels of condensate per day at peak. The Ichthys LNG Project is a large-scale LNG project by global standards, and is expected to be operational over a period of 40 years. In 1998, INPEX acquired an exploration permit in the block where the project is located, and following development studies including exploration, evaluation and FEED work, the company announced its final investment decision (FID) in January 2012.

About Saipem

Saipem operates in the Engineering & Construction and Drilling businesses, with a strong bias towards oil & gas-related activities in remote areas and deep waters. Saipem is a leader in the provision of engineering, procurement, project management and construction services with distinctive capabilities in the design and execution of large-scale offshore and onshore projects, and technological competences such as gas monetization and heavy oil exploitation.

About INPEX

INPEX CORPORATION is Japan’s largest exploration and production (E&P) company, comparable in size and scope to other mid-tier international oil and gas E&P companies.
INPEX is currently involved in over 70 projects across more than 20 countries, including two large-scale LNG Projects, the Ichthys LNG Project in Australia and the Abadi LNG Project in Indonesia, as operator. Through sustainably growing its oil and gas development business, INPEX aims to become a top class international oil and gas E&P company following the majors by the early 2020s.