Woodside’s Pluto LNG Start Up in March 2012

Australia’s Woodside Petroleum said that commissioning milestones were being achieved for its Pluto LNG project, with the first LNG cargo expected for March 2012.

Drilling in exploration permits was ongoing as Woodside sought to expand Pluto.

Pluto will process gas from the Pluto and Xena gas fields, located in the Carnarvon Basin about 190 kilometres north-west of Karratha, Western Australia.

As Pluto LNG project comes on stream, the company expects its output to rise next year.

For 2012, Woodside Petroleum has set a production target that is 27 per cent higher than 2011.

Production in 2012 would be 73 to 81 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe), the company said in a statement on Friday.

Of that, 56 to 60MMboe would come from the existing business and 17 to 21MMboe would come from Pluto Train 1.