Work to begin on Ichthys LNG gas export pipeline
Published by Callum O'Reilly,
Senior Editor
LNG Industry,
The Ichthys LNG project, operated by INPEX, has announced the arrival of a semi-submersible pipelay barge, SEMAC-1, to the Northern Territory. The news signals the start of important work on the LNG project’s 889 km gas export pipeline (GEP), which will connect Bladin Point to the Ichthys Field in the Browse Basin.
The 188 m-long Saipem-operated SEMAC-1 vessel is scheduled to start the 164 km shallow water pipelay component of the GEP installation in the coming weeks. This work includes laying the first 18 km section of 42 in. dia. pipe through Darwin Harbour from Middle Arm.
Louis Bon, Managing Director of the Ichthys LNG project, said: “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 […] The shallow water pipelay work means we are starting to physically connect our home base in Darwin to the Ichthys 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 LNG project’s landfall site for a 3 km shore-pull. This will enable the vessel to connect the offshore component of the pipeline to the onshore component, which will stretch about 7 km 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 approximately 4 weeks. In total, the 164 km shallow water pipelay installation is scheduled to take around 80 days. Once completed, the SEMAC-1 will transfer work to Saipem’s deep water installation vessel, Castorone, which will lay the remaining 718 km of pipe to the Ichthys Field.
Saipem is the engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contractor for the Ichthys LNG project’s GEP.
Adapted from press release by Callum O'Reilly
Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/liquefaction/24062014/work_to_begin_on_ichthys_lng_gas_export_pipeline_831/
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