Dutch tech helping Inpex bring Indonesian LNG project to life

Inpex Masela, a subsidiary of Japan’s Inpex, has selected a virtual simulator developed by Twinn, an affiliate of the Netherlands-headquartered engineering company Royal HaskoningDHV, for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Indonesia.

Thanks to the deal, Inpex will use the Witness LNG Logistics Simulator to de-risk terminal operations and commercial strategies at the Abadi LNG project under development in Indonesia. According to Royal HaskoningDHV, the simulation tool is designed to identify potential risks, assess operational flexibilities, and optimize future operations.

As explained, the simulator uses predictive technology to portray complex LNG operations and supply chains in a virtual environment. The tool considers potential risks relating to weather conditions, equipment failure, and scheduling fluctuations.

Briain O’Dowd, Royal HaskoningDHV’s Global Director for Energy and New Fuels, said: “We are proud to support INPEX on this vital project that will ensure a reliable energy source for both domestic and overseas customers. Our LNG Logistics Simulator balances production, physical, and commercial interests in a single digital environment, providing comprehensive evaluations that help INPEX make informed, data-backed decisions quickly and confidently.”

Using this tool, Royal HaskoningDHV created a virtual model of the entire Inpex value chain, including the onshore development scheme, terminal, and shipping. In addition to helping the Japanese player understand aspects such as storage, capacity, and berth availability, the simulation can be used for developing customer contracts.

Since global demand for LNG is expected to increase over the coming decades, the engineering company believes suppliers need the ability to stress-test choices and understand the technical and commercial implications of different development options, contractual commitments, and process decisions before investing. 

Inpex Masela is the operator of the Abadi LNG project with a 65% stake, with partners Pertamina (20%) and Petronas (15%) coming on board in 2023 after Shell decided to divest its stake in the project. 

Said to be one of the largest projects in Asia, Abadi LNG is expected to produce approximately 9.5 million tons per annum (mtpa) of LNG by liquefying natural gas from the Abadi gas field at an onshore facility. Additionally, the developer aims to produce up to 35,000 barrels of condensate per day and approximately 150 million cubic feet of natural gas per day.

While the development plan for the project was approved by the Indonesian government in 2019, Inpex submitted a revised one in April 2023, which was approved in December 2023. The new plan incorporates a carbon capture and storage (CCS) component.

Indonesia is not the only country in which Inpex is developing projects in this part of Asia. In December 2024, the Japanese firm decided to acquire a participating interest in a production sharing contract (PSC) off the coast of Malaysia. Under the deal, Inpex will get the entire 42.5% participating interest the affiliate of Seascape Energy holds in the Block 2A PSC, and become its operator.