Woodside Energy Group has completed installation of the 433km long gas trunkline for its Scarborough Energy Project in Western Australia.
The trunkline will connect the offshore Scarborough gas field in the Carnarvon Basin to the onshore Pluto LNG processing facility in Karratha. The installation, which took approximately 12 months, involved multiple teams, contractors, and specialised vehicles.
Woodside Energy executive vice president and Australia chief operating officer Liz Westcott said: “The completion of installation is a significant accomplishment, reflecting the dedication of all involved in achieving this project milestone.”
Westcott further stated that with the key infrastructure in place, the focus will be maintained on the safe execution of the remaining project scopes ahead of the first shipment of Scarborough liquefied natural gas (LNG) in 2026.
The Scarborough Energy Project is now over two-thirds complete and is set to meet growing demand for lower-carbon energy, while also contributing to the domestic gas market. The project is expected to provide up to 225 terajoules of gas per day to Western Australia.
In addition to its energy contributions, the project is poised to add more than A$50bn ($33.7bn) in direct and indirect taxes to the Australian economy over its lifespan. Moreover, the Scarborough project is creating over 3,000 jobs during its construction phase and is expected to generate or sustain an average of 600 jobs throughout its operational phase.
The Scarborough gas field is situated approximately 375km off the Pilbara coast of Western Australia. The development of the field will involve new offshore facilities, connected to a second LNG train at the existing Pluto LNG onshore facility, via the newly installed gas pipeline.
As part of the Scarborough Energy Project, a floating production unit (FPU) will be installed, with eight wells drilled in the initial development phase.
Over the lifetime of the field, a total of 13 wells will be drilled, all of which will be connected to a semi-submersible FPU anchored in 950m of water near the Scarborough gas field.
The project aims to process approximately five million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of Scarborough gas through Pluto Train 2, with an additional 3Mtpa processed through the existing Pluto Train 1.
In May 2024, Woodside Energy secured a $1bn loan agreement with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) to support the development of the Scarborough Energy Project. This funding deal followed the earlier announcement of Woodside’s sale of non-operating participating interests in the Scarborough joint venture.
JERA acquired a 15.1% stake, subject to conditions precedent, while LNG Japan completed the acquisition of a 10% interest in March 2024.
