Origin Energy announced that the final phase of the mid-life enhancement (MLE) project at BassGas offshore Tasmania – entailing installation and successful commissioning of compressor and condensate pumping unit at the Yolla-A platform – has been completed ahead of schedule and under budget.
This follows the drilling and completion of, and gas sales from the final two development wells, Yolla-5 and Yolla-6, in 2015. Gas, condensate and LPG from the Yolla fields is transported by pipeline from the Yolla platform to a gas processing facility at Lang Lang in Victoria.
David Biggs, CEO and Managing Director of AWE Limited, a 35% joint venture partner, said: “The commencement of compression on the Yolla-A platform marks the end of the BassGas MLE project.
“We anticipate a significant improvement in BassGas production from July 2017, and we are planning to commence marketing our share of uncontracted gas from the Yolla field to prospective customers in 2018.
“We are also working with the operator, Origin Energy, on development concept studies for the nearby Trefoil field, which is similar to the Yolla field in terms of gas-condensate mix.”
The completion of the MLE project triggers a cash payment of $2.5 million to AWE from Prize Petroleum, in line with the terms of the sale of an 11.25 percent interest in BassGas to Prize in 2014. The payment is not expected to be received until FY18.
The T/L1 license is operated by Origin Energy Resources Limited (42.5%). The remaining partners in the license are AWE and Toyota Tsusho Gas E&P Trefoil Limited and Prize Petroleum, the latter two having an 11.25% stake.