Australia’s Northern Territory government has set aside A$250,000 (US$187,700) for the feasibility study into the potential expansion of ConocoPhillips-operated Darwin LNG plant at Wickham Point.
According to the government’s statement on Wednesday, the feasibility study will look into the viability of developing a second LNG train at the plant, and is expected to be complete by the end of this year.
The NT government is contributing around 40 percent of the feasibility study costs, with the remainder funded by ConocoPhillips and upstream resource owners in Evans Shoal, Caldita-Barossa, Poseidon, Cash Maple and Bonaparte LNG (Petrel Tern) discoveries.
Northern Territory’s chief minister, Michael Gunner said a second train for the Darwin LNG facility would involve a multi-billion dollar investment and represent a new development in Australia’s offshore gas industry.
Gunner said the study will explore different LNG process technologies and production rates to support a low-cost development for a second LNG train.
ConocoPhillips Australia West vice president external affairs, Kayleen Ewin added that the study is the first step in finding new ways to commercialize the substantial offshore resources in Northern Australia.
The facility has a design capacity of 3.7 million tons of LNG per year and is supplied with gas from the Bayu-Undan field via a 502-kilometer pipeline.
ConocoPhillips is the majority interest holder and operator of the Bayu-Undan facility, the pipeline and the Darwin LNG plant. Other coventurers are Santos, Inpex, Eni, Tokyo Electric and Tokyo Gas.
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LNG World News Staff