The INPEX-operated Ichthys LNG Project has announced a major milestone for its Central Processing Facility (CPF).

The first dry dock hull block erection was yesterday celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony in the Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) shipyard in Geoje, South Korea, where the CPF is being constructed.

The ceremony was attended by INPEX president Director Australia Seiya Ito and Ichthys Project Managing Director Louis Bon.
Speaking at the event, Mr Ito said the ceremony was significant as it recognised the introduction
of the first large hull block to the SHI floating dock, where the CPF will be constructed.

“The placement of the hull block marks the culmination of huge fabrication efforts since the first steel plates were cut in January last year,” he said.

“Successful delivery of the CPF is of great importance as it is the centre of the Project’s offshore development, with all future production being processed through this facility.

“’Today’s event is another major step towards the completion of this world-class facility by late 2015, and a major step in the delivery of the Ichthys LNG Project – one of the world’s most exciting and challenging developments.”

The CPF is a very large floating facility that gathers natural gas and condensate from the Ichthys Field's subsea wells. Gas will undergo initial processing on the CPF, which will be permanently moored at the field, to extract condensate and water and remove impurities in order to make the gas suitable for transmission.

Most condensate will be transferred from the CPF to the nearby floating production, storage and offloading facility (FPSO) for offshore processing, with the remainder sent to Darwin with the gas via the 889 kilometre gas export pipeline.

Earlier this year on 19 February, a major milestone was reached for the FPSO when the Project celebrated its keel laying.

With topside dimensions of 150 metres by 110 metres, the CPF will be the world’s largest semi-submersible platform. Once complete, it will be towed around 6,000 kilometres to the Ichthys Field in the Browse Basin, offshore Western Australia.

Work is underway for all major Ichthys LNG Project facilities, including the Central Processing Facility, the FPSO, the subsea structures, flow lines and umbilicals, the Gas Export Pipeline, and the onshore LNG processing plant in Darwin.

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 currently involved in more than 70 projects across 28 countries. INPEX is ranked in the top 100 global energy companies and is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Part of the Australian business community since 1986, we are active in a number of projects in Australia and the Timor Sea, including the large-scale Ichthys LNG Project, Prelude FLNG project, Van Gogh, Ravensworth and Kitan oil projects, as well as the Bayu-Undan condensate development and associated Darwin LNG.

See the site of Ichthys LNG Project