Oz-based Ichthys LNG Gas Production Delayed, but First LNG on Track

The Australia-based Ichthys LNG project has delayed the commencement of first gas production but remains on track to for first LNG by the end of September, a spokeswoman for INPEX said July 5.

“The Project is scheduled to commence production of gas from the wellhead upon conducting final safety verifications, and will thereafter proceed with the shipments of cargoes towards the end of the first half of the current [Japanese] fiscal year,” the spokeswoman said. The Japanese fiscal year runs from April to March.

“Specific timings for the first LNG cargo and other first shipments will be determined, based on the sequence of production start-up activities going forward,” she said.

Ichthys received the LNG tanker Pacific Breeze in April for cooling down purposes at the facility ahead of its start-up. At the time, Inpex said the project would complete the commissioning required for the production start-up of the Ichthys Explorer central processing facility between April and May and shipments were at the time expected to follow shortly after that.

“There is always the possibility of the Project’s schedule fluctuating to a certain extent,” the spokeswoman said Thursday.

Ichthys is planned to be able to produce 8.9mn metric tonnes of LNG per year at full production.