While navigating complex supply chains to deliver its projects in line with established timelines, Australia’s energy giant Woodside has advanced three major projects spanning the waters offshore Western Australia, where the almost complete Scarborough mega-project is rushing toward its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipment, along with deepwater milestones in Mexico and resilient construction in the U.S. Gulf.
Woodside has provided updates on the progress made in developing three projects, including Scarborough offshore Australia, Trion in Mexican waters, and Louisiana LNG in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America).
The Scarborough and Pluto Train 2 projects remain on budget and were 99% complete at the end of the third quarter of 2026, excluding Pluto Train 1 modifications. The floating production unit (FPU) and subsea production system commissioning and start-up activities continued, including well clean-up and export of gas to pressurise the trunkline.
The operator emphasizes that well clean-up results are in line with reservoir and well performance expectations. The company completed all mechanical runs of Pluto Train 2 compressors, and, subsequent to the period, Scarborough gas was introduced to the warm end (gas pre-treatment) of the LNG train.
Activities in the cold end continue to progress, which will enable the start of gas liquefaction. Following the Pluto Train 1 planned major maintenance campaign in Q2, modifications to Pluto Train 1, which will allow processing of Scarborough gas, continued. The final module arrived on-site with activities focused on module hook-up and integration. The first LNG cargo is on track for Q4 2026.
Liz Westcott, Woodside’s CEO, commented: “Amid ongoing volatility in global energy markets, we have remained a reliable supplier to our customers. Increased quarterly operating revenue reflected increased production and strong realized prices.
“We delivered quarterly production of 46.2 million barrels of oil equivalent, up 12% from the previous quarter following the successful completion of the Pluto LNG turnaround in the second quarter and the NWS turnaround in the third quarter.”
Woodside highlights that the Trion project remains on budget and was 71% complete at the end of the third quarter, as the drilling campaign moved forward, with 10 of 24 wells drilled and the first subsea tree installed. The subsea equipment and disconnectable turret mooring (DTM) buoy were delivered to Mexico, enabling offshore installation to begin.
The FPU fabrication reached 96% completion, with integration and pre-commissioning activities underway. The operator progressed floating storage and offloading vessel construction, including completion of DTM turret integration into the hull. This project is targeting first oil in 2028.
The Louisiana LNG project remains on budget and was 32% complete at the end of the quarter, as LNG terminal construction advanced across marine, site works, and LNG tanks, with LNG Tank 1 wall concrete reaching 50% completion.
According to Woodside, Train 1 was 41% complete at the end of the quarter, as structural steel and above-ground piping installation progressed, while Trains 2 and 3 were 27% and 22% done, respectively, as above-ground piping installation commenced for Train 2 and the first concrete foundation was poured for Train 3.
Currently, ongoing engagement with high-quality counterparties for equity participation and LNG offtake continues. The project is targeting the first LNG in 2029. The Australian energy giant claims that structural steel supply challenges associated with ongoing disruptions in the Middle East continue to be mitigated through alternative logistics routes and fabrication sources.
As the Scarborough project races toward its Q4 2026 debut, and Trion and Louisiana LNG build out their foundational infrastructure for the latter half of the decade, these updates signal resilience across major projects in an era marked by shifting geopolitical tides and material bottlenecks to ensure future energy security.
Westcott added: “We remain committed to supplying Australia’s domestic gas market and are assessing our plans for four proposed development wells in the Bass Strait. Development will depend on technical assessments and the implications of the Federal Government’s domestic gas reservation scheme.”