Inpex hands in Ichthys development drilling plan

Japan’s Inpex has submitted its environment plan for the Ichthys development drilling campaign WA-50-L – Phase 2 to the Australian regulator, NOPSEMA. 

As titleholder on behalf of its joint venture participants, Inpex proposes to conduct the next phase of the Ichthys development drilling campaign, which will consist of the drilling, completion, and flow back of at least 12-15 additional development wells within production license WA-50-L.

The drilling campaign includes the potential for workovers and well intervention of existing and planned development wells. Drilling campaign activities will be conducted using a semi-submersible mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU), which will be anchored to the seabed and/or dynamically positioned. Anchor handling supply vessels and a platform supply vessel will provide support for the drilling campaign including the installation and recovery of pre-lay anchors.

Personnel transfers to and from the MODU will be by helicopter several times per week. Inspection, maintenance and repair or light well intervention vessels may be used to undertake additional well related activities during the drilling campaign.

Drilling is expected to start in the first half of 2020 and continue for up to five years.

The Ichthys field, within production license WA-50-L, is located in the Browse Basin in Commonwealth waters within Western Australia. It is approximately 230 km north west of the Kimberley coastline, at its closest point.

Water depths at the proposed well locations range between 235 m and 275 m at lowest astronomical tide. The closest major town is Derby, located approximately 390 km south of the southern boundary of the license area.

Ichthys field

Inpex is developing the Ichthys field in the Browse Basin off the north west coast of Western Australia to produce condensate offshore for export to markets in Japan and elsewhere, and export gas for further processing at the Ichthys liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Darwin.

Inpex is preparing to expand capacity with further development of the Ichthys field with approval granted for up to 50 wells across 12 – 15 drill centers.

Initial development wells were drilled and the Ichthys LNG offshore facilities were installed and commissioned from 2014 through to 2018. The assets started production in July 2018 and now routinely ship cargoes of condensate from the FPSO to international customers and send gas to the Darwin plant via the Gas Export Pipeline.

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