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Total and INPEX Launch the Offshore FEED for the Ichthys LNG Project in Australia

Oil Voice, Thursday, April 30, 2009

Total announces that the joint venture holding the Australian exploration permit WA-285-P (Total 24%, INPEX 76% operator) has decided to launch the Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) for the development of the Ichthys field, located in the Browse Basin approximately 200 kilometres offshore North West Australia and approximately 850 kilometres to the west of Darwin.

With proved and probable reserves estimated to be around 530 million barrels of condensate and 12.8 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of natural gas, Ichthys is one of the largest discoveries in Australia, and will be the first major gas development in the Browse Basin Region.

Yves-Louis Darricarrère, President Exploration and Production Total, said: “With the launch of the Ichthys field offshore FEED, the project enters a new phase in which the facilities are defined and evaluated in more detail prior to the Final Investment Decision. Total, which is very active worldwide along the entire Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) chain, from field exploration and production to gas trading, is committed alongside INPEX to the development of the Ichthys project to deliver LNG to the markets”.

About the Front End Engineering Design
During the Ichthys field FEED, the joint venture will define the production facilities comprising a subsea gas gathering network, a floating central offshore processing facility for the gas, a floating production storage and offloading unit for the condensate, and a gas pipeline to Darwin. 

A separate FEED for a LNG plant located onshore in Darwin to liquefy the gas produced from Ichthys was launched in January 2009. The LNG plant will contribute to the local economy, providing employment for more than 2,000 people during the plant construction, and for about 300 once in operation.