The Central Processing Facility (CPF), known as the Ichthys Explorer, weighs 120,000 t with a topsides footprint of 130 m by 120 m, and will be moored at the field for 40 years.
“The safe and efficient mooring of the Ichthys Explorer in the 250-metre deep waters of the Ichthys Field, marks another significant milestone for the INPEX-operated Ichthys LNG Project,” said Ichthys LNG Project’s Managing Director Louis Bon.
“The complex operation of connecting 28 pre-installed mooring chains, weighing more than 25,000 t, from the seabed to the CPF is testament to the well-coordinated work of our personnel, including contractors and sub-contractors from around globe.”
The CPF is the central hub for initial offshore processing of all well fluids delivered from an extensive, 130-kilometre network of subsea well infrastructure.
Gas from the CPF will be sent through an 890 km subsea pipeline to the onshore LNG facility, at Blaydin Point, near Darwin for processing.
Condensate arriving to the CPF will be transferred to a nearby floating production, storage and offloading facility (FPSO), the Ichthys Venturer.
Joint venture interests in the project are operator INPEX (63.445 per cent), TOTAL (30 per cent), CPC (2.625 per cent), Tokyo Gas (1.575 per cent), Osaka Gas (1.2 per cent), Chubu Electric (0.735 per cent) and Toho Gas (0.420 per cent).
