Inpex officially opens Ichthys LNG site

Japan’s Inpex has officially opened the onshore LNG processing facilities of INPEX-operated Ichthys LNG project which draws gas from the Ichthys offshore gas field in W. Australia via an 890 kilometer-long gas export pipeline.

According to Inpex, Japanese, Australian and Northern Territory government representatives on Friday unveiled a plaque to commemorate four decades of future benefits Ichthys LNG will bring to the Northern Territory, Australia, Japan and the region.

Worth noting, the gas production from the offshore field started back in July, and the first LNG cargo was sent to Japan in October this year.

Hiroshige Sekō, Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Senator the Hon. Simon Birmingham, Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Senator the Hon. Matthew Canavan, Australian Minister for Resources and Northern Australia and The Hon. Ken Vowles MLA, Northern Territory Minister of Primary Industry and Resources united on Friday declared the onshore site officially opened.

INPEX CEO, President and Representative Director, Takayuki Ueda said: “We are standing here today thanks to the contributions of tens of thousands of people drawn from many nations across the world”

“Ichthys LNG is an iconic project. We are very proud of the economic and social contributions INPEX and Ichthys LNG have made to date – along with 40 years of future operations that will provide lasting economic and social benefits for Australia and energy security for Japan.”

Approximately 70 per cent of the LNG produced by Ichthys LNG is scheduled to be supplied to Japanese customers, INPEX said.

In a report on Thursday, energy intelligence firm EnergyQuest said Australia was on the cusp of taking becoming the world’s biggest exporter of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), boosted by the expected ramp-up of the Inpex-operated Ichthys project.

EnergyQuest Chief Executive, Dr Graeme Bethune, said:”As Ichthys ramps up production in coming months we expect Australia’s annualized production rate to overtake Qatar’s nominal capacity of 77 Mtpa, making us the world’s biggest exporter.”

“Latest reports are for a further three Ichthys cargoes to load in November from the Darwin plant to be sold on the spot market.”