Under the new plan, West Seahorse-3 will be re-completed as a subsea well, connecting to a terminal plant via a 6 inch FlexSteel oil production pipeline and 3 inch gas lift pipeline.

The parallel pipelines will have a total length of 41 km, including 14 km offshore and 27 km onshore. The onshore pipeline will circumvent onshore lakes, however it may pass underneath the lakes in which case it would have a length of 15 km.

The 3 inch gas export/import pipeline would connect to the Longford Gas Pipeline.

A treatment facility would be constructed, followed by a crude stabilisation and load-out terminal plant, which would be located at Dutson Downs.

Article continues below…

The company is also considering tie-ins to third party facilities.

The new plan follows engineering studies on lower cost options, which the company has deemed necessary due to the global financial crisis and low oil prices.

The wholly-owned field has 2P reserves of 5.3 MMbbl of oil with an additional 3.4 MMbbl of contingent resource.

3D Oil said that the project would have a further potential of 1.2 MMbbl of oil reserves if the West Seahorse-3 is sidetracked to the West Seahorse-1 location.

First oil is anticipated in 2012.