ConocoPhillips and its joint partners SK E&S Australia and Santos have submitted an environment plan to NOPSEMA to develop the Barossa Gas Field, located 300km northwest of Darwin.
The development includes bringing gas and condensate from subsea wells to a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) facility via a network of subsea flowlines and risers.
Initial processing would occur on the FPSO to separate the gas, water, and condensate. The condensate would be transferred from the FPSO to specialised tankers for export. The resulting dry gas would be sent to Darwin via a new 260-kilometer pipeline connected to the existing Bayu-Darwin pipeline.
The Barossa project is fully described in the Barossa Area Development Offshore Project Proposal, which was accepted by NOPSEMA in March 2018.
The Barossa Gas Export Pipeline Installation Environment Plan is the first of several environment plans that will be developed under the Barossa project proposal.
This environment plan specifically addresses installation of the gas export pipeline, which runs north-south from the Barossa gas field to the proposed tie-in location on the existing Bayu-Undan pipeline some 100km west-northwest of Darwin.
The installation activities include pre and post lay surveys, pre and post lay span rectification, installation of the gas export pipeline and end terminals and pipeline pre-conditioning activities.
NOPSEMA said that the exact installation schedule had not been finalised. However, installation activities are expected to occur between the fourth quarter of 2020 and the first quarter of 2024.
The installation schedule is indicative only with exact timing and duration subject to a number of factors such as vessel availability, weather and sea state. ConocoPhillips will maintain contact with relevant stakeholders to ensure they are informed of installation timelines as the schedule is confirmed.
