Development drilling programme scheduled to start in 2027
Japan’s Inpex has received regulatory approval for the revised Environment Plan for its next development drilling campaign at its Ichthys liquefied natural gas project in Australia.
The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (Nopsema) confirmed that it had accepted the EP for the Ichthys Phase 2 development drilling.
The campaign consists of the drilling, completion and flow back of up to 13 additional development wells in water depths between 235 and 275 metres within production licence WA‐50‐L offshore Western Australia. The drilling campaign includes the potential for workovers and well intervention of existing and planned development wells.
Inpex intends to use a semi-submersible drilling rig or drillship for the multi-well programme that is expected to commence in 2027.
Anchor handling supply vessels and a platform supply vessel will provide support for the drilling campaign, including the installation and recovery of pre‐lay anchors where required.
Also, inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM) or light well intervention vessels may be used to undertake additional well related activities.
Personnel transfers to and from the drilling unit will be by helicopter several times per week during the drilling campaign, noted Nopsema.
The Ichthys field is located in the Browse basin in Commonwealth waters within Western Australia. It is approximately 230 kilometres northwest of the Kimberley coastline at its closest point.
Ichthys produced first gas in July 2018. The project has approximate production capacity of 9.3 million tonnes per annum of LNG, 1.65 million tpa of liquid petroleum gas and 100,000 barrels per day of condensate at peak.
Inpex’s partners are TotalEnergies, CPC, Osaka Gas, Kansai Electric Power Company, JERA and Toho Gas, according to the operator’s website.
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