Saipem’s deepwater installation vessel Castorone has kicked off the deepwater pipelay of 889 kilometre-long gas export pipeline (GEP) for The INPEX-operated Ichthys LNG Project.
The vessel will lay the remaining 718 kilometre offshore section of the 42-inch diameter GEP following the successful completion in November 2014 of the 164 kilometre shallow water section by the SEMAC-1.
The remaining seven kilometres of the GEP is onshore, incorporating the beach valve and the final section to the onshore LNG facilities site at Bladin Point near Darwin.
Ichthys LNG Project Offshore Director Claude Cahuzac said it was fantastic to start the New Year with a significant Project milestone.
“Castorone starting work means we are now a major step closer to physically connecting our onshore LNG facilities to the Ichthys Field, where our offshore facilities will be moored for the 40-plus year life of the Project,” Mr Cahuzac said.
“A significant amount of work has been safely completed to get to this stage of pipeline installation.
“This includes a range of activities in and around Darwin Harbour such as dredging, landfall civil works, rock quarrying and transportation, and marine cable crossings.”
Deepwater pipelay is scheduled for completion in late 2015. When completed, the Ichthys LNG Project GEP will be the fifth longest subsea pipeline in the world and the longest in the southern hemisphere.