The successful installation of the complex network of subsea infrastructure and equipment to safely and efficiently extract gas and condensate from the Ichthys Field for the Ichthys LNG Project has been completed, INPEX said Jan. 13.

The final laying of 49 km (30 miles) of umbilicals and flying leads marked the last placement of an intricate subsea network, spread across a 400-sq-km (154-sq-mile) area of the Ichthys Field, in the Browse Basin, about 220 km (137 miles) offshore Western Australia.

Ichthys Project Managing Director Louis Bon described the safe execution of a number of installation campaigns to complete the subsea infrastructure milestone on schedule as an “outstanding achievement.”

“Since October 2014, hundreds of people have worked offshore without any significant safety incidents to install the Ichthys LNG Project’s 133,000-tonne subsea network,” he said in a statement. “Carrying out this work more than 200 kilometers (124 miles) out to sea in water depths of around 250 m (820 ft) involves substantial planning and logistical challenges to manage crew changes and equipment transportation.”

Included in the extensive subsea gathering system is a 110-m (361-ft) high riser support structure, five manifolds, 139 km (86 miles) of flowlines, 49 km (30 miles) of umbilicals and flying leads, 2,640 tons of production and MEG spools, five subsea distribution units and a subsea distribution hub.

Finalizing the subsea installation, a key milestone, signified the project was now ready for the arrival of the central processing facility and FPSO facilities, currently under commissioning in South Korea.

Once all commissioning activities in the South Korean shipyards are finished, the offshore facilities will be towed to the Ichthys Field and moored for their 40-year operational life by 40,000 tons of chain secured to more than 25,000 tons of foundation piles.

News for the development kept flowing in January.

In a Jan. 13 news release, Fugro said it landed a five-year contract for subsea inspection, repair and maintenance services from INPEX for Ichthys facilities in the Timor Sea.

In addition, Solstad Offshore was awarded a subcontract from McDermott to provide light construction vessel services related to the Ichthys gas field development project. Solstad said Normand Reach will be used to help with FPSO hookup, subsea work, pre-commissioning and survey scopes.

—Staff Reports