Woodside Energy, an Australian company, achieved a significant milestone in its Scarborough gas and LNG project offshore Western Australia with the delivery of the first three Pluto Train 2 modules. These modules, weighing a total of 4,000 tons, were fabricated by Bechtel in Indonesia and are the initial components of the 51 modules to be transported to the site for the construction of Pluto Train 2.
Pluto Train 2, set to become the second LNG production train at the existing Pluto LNG onshore facility, will be responsible for processing gas from the Scarborough development. Bechtel was chosen by Woodside Energy to oversee the engineering, procurement, and construction of Pluto Train 2, with construction work commencing in November 2021.
The decision to move forward with the development of the Scarborough gas field was announced in November 2021. Located approximately 375 km off the coast of Western Australia, the field is estimated to hold 11.1 Tcf of dry gas. Initial development plans include installing a floating production unit with eight wells, expanding to a total of 13 wells over the field’s lifespan. A new 430-km pipeline will transport the gas to Pluto LNG.
Woodside anticipates that Scarborough gas processed through Pluto Train 2 will offer one of the lowest carbon-intensity sources of LNG sent to North Asia. With a liquefaction capacity of around 5 mtpa, Pluto Train 2 will also see the installation of additional domestic gas infrastructure at the facility to increase domestic gas capacity to about 225 terajoules per day. Modifications will be made to accommodate Scarborough’s lean gas at the existing Pluto Train 1 facility, allowing for the processing of up to 3 mtpa of LNG.
Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill expressed the significance of the first Pluto Train 2 module’s delivery as a crucial step towards completing the Scarborough Energy Project. O’Neill highlighted the project’s role in meeting the rising demand for low-cost, lower-carbon, and reliable energy. The Scarborough project aims to achieve its first LNG shipment in 2026.
