Santos has announced the installation of the BW Opal floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel at the Barossa gas field in Australia.
Constructed by BW Offshore, the FPSO is equipped to handle 850 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (MMSCFD) and has a design capacity to process 11,000 barrels of stabilised condensate daily.
The arrival of the vessel signifies a significant milestone towards achieving first gas in Q3 2025. Following its successful connectivity, the final commissioning activities are currently on track, said Santos.
The FPSO serves as the central production facility in the Santos-led Barossa LNG project. The project, involving joint venture partners SK E&S and JERA, has seen an investment of $3.95bn and is nearing the completion of its commissioning phase.
The Barossa gas project is designed to supply new gas sources to the existing Darwin liquified natural gas (DLNG) facility in Northern Territory waters.
Santos managing director and CEO Kevin Gallagher said: “The arrival of the BW Opal FPSO into the Barossa field and commencement of hook up and commissioning is a significant milestone for Santos and its Barossa LNG joint venture partners.
“The project has come a long way since regulator acceptance of the offshore project proposal in 2018.”
Gas will be extracted from the Barossa field, situated approximately 285km offshore from Darwin, and transported to the DLNG facility through the Gas Export Pipeline (GEP) and the Darwin Pipeline Duplication (DPD).
Apart from the FPSO, the project infrastructure includes a subsea production system, supporting in-field subsea structures, and both pipelines GEP and DPD.
Five out of six planned wells have been drilled, with the fifth well poised for flow testing. Completion of the final well is expected in Q3 2025.
Production readiness from three wells can meet full production rates at the DLNG plant if required.
According to Santos, the construction of the 262km GEP and 123km Darwin Pipeline Duplication is complete, alongside necessary subsea infrastructure for first gas delivery.
Santos continues to expand its long-standing partnerships with major utilities in Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and China. The Barossa LNG project aims to provide reliable energy for over a decade while supporting energy security and emissions reduction goals across Asia.
Recently, Santos received an $18.7bn acquisition proposal from a consortium led by XRG, part of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). The consortium also comprises Abu Dhabi Development (ADQ) and Carlyle.
The proposal requires XRG to complete due diligence and negotiate an agreement with Santos for implementation according to scheme requirements.
