From Australia (RW): Woodside Petroleum has re-affirmed that floating LNG is the most commercially viable option for the proposed Browse Basin (SEN, 31/2) project, off Western Australia, as it released the draft environmental impact statement.

The operator has not, though, given any indication of possible production figures. Instead the statement says the FLNG proposal is nearing completion in the ‘base of design’ (BOD) phase.

Woodside says front-end engineering and design (FEED) will finish about 12 months after the completion of BOD. This is expected to lead to a final investment decision with offshore drilling likely to begin two years after that. Commissioning of the FLNG facilities would probably happen five to eight years after a successful FID. The project production phase would have a life of 40-50 years.

Retention rights

The Browse licence group has submitted applications for the renewal of the retention leases surrounding the three gas fields – Torosa, Brecknock and Calliance – that make up the project.

Up to three FLNG facilities measuring 488m long and 78m wide are planned, each capable of producing 3.9mt/a of LNG and 17,000-22,000b/d of condensate. However there is also the possibility of moving one of the FLNG vessels around to different locations on the three targeted fields.

This latter scenario could see two FLNG vessels located at Brecknock and Calliance for about half the reservoir life and two facilities at Torosa for half that reservoir’s life.

Development includes setting up three drill centres each at Brecknock and Calliance and five at Torosa with 64 production wells forecast. There would also be construction of the usual other subsea infrastructure, including manifolds, flowlines, umbilicals, risers and moorings.

The project will potentially aim to produce up to 11.7mt/a of LNG and 66,000b/d of condensate. The estimated contingent reserve for the three-field complex is 425bcm and 441mmbbls of condensate. They are located about 425km north of Broome.

Public comment on the draft EIS will close on 19 December.

Although not mentioned in the EIS there have been reports that Browse consortium is considering construction of a regasification plant in WA to cater for the state’s future energy needs. The plan would involve shipping LNG to southwest WA for conversion back into gas for the local market.

It is believed the idea is one of a number being considered in a study in preparation for a debate with the WA government over the Browse LNG project’s obligations for the domestic gas market.

Woodside said only that the joint venture is investigating the practicality and economic feasibility of making gas available for the domestic market and to working with government in relation to the state’s domestic gas reservation policy.