Go-ahead for Pluto gas project

The board of

has approved development of the Pluto Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Project, based 190km northwest of

.

The approval, subject to final environmental and other regulatory factors, is for a project based on Woodside’s Pluto and Xena gas fields.

The initial stage of the project will include the construction of a single LNG production train with a projected production of 4.3m tonnes per year, which will be connected to a platform in 85m of water by an 180km, 91cm offshore pipeline. The platform will be attached to five sub-sea big bore wells in the Pluto field.

So far, A$796m has been spent on the Pluto field and LNG Project, and the board has approved additional funding of up to A$11.2bn for the upcoming developments. Later work, including compression and linking to the Xena gas field, will require further funding approval.

Woodside has committed A$300m in additional infrastructure to allow for future expansion of other Woodside or third party gas, so that the onshore plant will be able to operate as an open-access facility with additional LNG trains.