The campaign will consist of the drilling, completion and flow back of at least 12–15 development wells within production licence WA-50-L and includes the potential for workovers and well intervention of existing and planned wells.
INPEX will conduct the activities using a semi-submersible mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU) with support from anchor handling supply vessels and platform supply vessels, while personnel transfers will take place via helicopter multiple times per week.
The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Authority (NOPSEMA) approved the activity on 4 December after INPEX submitted the proposal in September 2019.
Drilling is expected to begin in the first half of 2020 and continue for up to five years, providing supply for INPEX’s $55 billion Ichthys LNG Project which officially opened in November 2018.
The capacity of Ichthys’ onshore production facility is 8.9 million t, coming from two LNG processing trains, which can produce 100,000 bbl/d of condensate at peak and 1.65 million t/a of liquid petroleum gas.
Approximately 70 per cent of the LNG produced at the project will be exported to Japanese customers.
WA-50-L is located approximately 230 km northwest of the Kimberley coastline and water depths range between 235 and 275 m at lowest astronomical tide.
For more information visit the INPEX website.
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