Woodside files plan for Scarborough drilling operations

Australian energy giant Woodside has filed its environment plan for the Scarborough field drilling and completions operations to the country’s authorities and the plan is now under assessment.

Woodside has already invited public comments for its proposed Scarborough 4D B1 marine seismic survey, which will be conducted over the Scarborough, North Scarborough, and Jupiter gas fields within Commonwealth waters, located in the Carnarvon Basin. The deadline for the submission is right around the corner as it is set for 17 November. The survey is expected to start in the third quarter of 2022 and last for 80 days.

Now, according to Australia’s offshore regulator NOPSEMA, Woodside proposes to drill up to ten development wells in WA-61-L. The Petroleum Activities Program is located in Permit Area WA-61-L in Commonwealth waters, about 374 km west-northwest of Dampier, Western Australia. The closest landfall to the Petroleum Activities Program is the North West Cape, about 226 km south-south-east at its nearest point.

The environment plan includes drilling and subsea tree installation activities for eight planned development wells and the potential for a further two additional contingency wells. Woodside may also need to intervene, workover or re-drill the wells. Subsea inspection, monitoring, maintenance and subsea infrastructure repair activities may also be undertaken. The Petroleum Activity Program will be carried out using either a DP MODU or a moored MODU, subsea installation vessel and support vessels.

Under the plan, the activity is planned to occur anytime within a five-year window, starting in H2 2022. Drilling and completions for the development wells is expected to take approximately 50-60 days per well to complete. Subsea inspection, monitoring, maintenance and repair activities may be conducted intermittently and over short durations in the immediate vicinity of installed subsea infrastructure.

Activities will be conducted 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Timing and duration of these activities is subject to change due to project schedule requirements, drill rig and vessel availability, weather and unforeseen circumstances.

Also this week, Woodside entered into a sale and purchase agreement with Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) for the sale of a 49 per cent interest of the second train at its Pluto LNG export facility. Pluto Train 2 is a key component of the proposed Scarborough development. It includes a new LNG train and the construction of domestic gas facilities at the existing Pluto LNG onshore facility.

The company is now on the lookout for a new CFO as its current one has resigned to pursue a career opportunity with another ASX listed company.