Ichthys LNG project commences mooring installation

TOKYO -- Mooring installation works have commenced at Ichthys field in the Browse basin, about 220 km offshore Western Australia, as part of the Inpex-operated Ichthys LNG project’s ongoing offshore installation campaign.

The first of 49 foundation piles was safely deployed and driven into the seabed on Wednesday. Image: Inpex.

The first of 49 foundation piles was safely deployed and driven into the seabed on May 6 in a water depth of 250 m. Each pile is about 66 m long and weighs more than 450 tonnes.

Ichthys Project Managing Director Louis Bon said that installation of the complex network of subsea infrastructure and equipment across the 800 km² Ichthys field was progressing well.

“The mooring installation works are part of the offshore installation campaign that the Ichthys LNG Project commenced in October 2014,” Bon said. "As part of that campaign, we are installing more than 30,000 tonnes of subsea infrastructure and equipment across Ichthys field so that we will be able to safely and efficiently extract gas and condensate. The mooring work is being carried out specifically to prepare for the arrival of the project’s two big offshore facilities—the central processing facility and the floating production, storage and offloading facility.”

Currently under construction in South Korea, the central processing facility (CPF) and floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) facility, once completed, will be towed to Ichthys field in 2016 and moored for the life of operations—about 40 years—by 40,000 tonnes of chain secured to about 20,000 tonnes of foundation piles.

The mooring installation work scope is being led by Heerema Marine Contractors (HMC) Australia—under subcontract to the lead contractor McDermott Australia—using the deepwater construction vessel DCV Aegir.

Moorings will be installed by DCV Aegir in non-continuous phases, with piles driven first and mooring chains laid out later in the campaign.

As of May 2015, the Ichthys LNG project had installed 47 km of flowlines, more than 30 flowline sleeper structures and a 6,500 tonne riser support structure (RSS) in Ichthys field as part of the offshore installation campaign.