ConocoPhillips has awarded three major engineering projects as part of the front end engineering and design (FEED) phase of the Barossa offshore project in W. Australia.
As previously reported, the Barossa development concept includes a floating production storage and offloading facility (FPSO), six subsea production wells to be drilled in the initial phase, subsea production system, supporting in-field subsea infrastructure and a gas pipeline to Darwin, all located in Australian Commonwealth waters.
ConocoPhillips’ partner in the project Santos on Monday said that separate engineering contracts for the FPSO were awarded to MODEC and a consortium between TechnipFMC and Samsung Heavy Industries. A design competition will be conducted between the two groups.
A third contract, for the subsea infrastructure including umbilicals, flowlines, risers, and gas export pipeline, has been awarded to INTECSEA.
Santos Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Kevin Gallagher said: “These contracts reaffirm Barossa’s position as the leading candidate for Darwin LNG backfill, with no alternative projects in the FEED phase. Barossa would more than double Santos’ production in northern Australia and significantly increase our portfolio LNG production from early 2024 when strong, unfulfilled LNG demand is expected.”
“The award of the FEED contracts is another big step towards ensuring Barossa replaces Bayu-Undan production when it ceases in the early 2020s.”
Gallagher said: “An FPSO design competition between leading engineering contractors with experience in the Australian market will ensure a robust, cost competitive package is delivered ahead of a final investment decision.”
“Other FEED works are also moving ahead with geotechnical and geophysical surveys of the pipeline route and subsea manifold locations currently underway in the field,” he added.
A final investment decision is targeted towards the end of 2019 for the field located 300 kilometers north of Darwin.
Santos holds a 25% interest in the Barossa-Caldita joint venture along with partners ConocoPhillips (37.5% and operator) and SK E&S (37.5%). Santos is also a joint venture partner in Darwin LNG with an 11.5% interest.