Pluto LNG liquefaction plant ready for start up

Woodside Petroleum’s Pluto LNG liquefaction plant has reached ready for start up status (RFSU) and first gas has entered the plant today.

This project is the first of many proposed Australian LNG ventures to reach start up status and leads the way in establishing Australia as a major player in the global LNG industry. The country is perfectly placed to take advantage of booming Asian demand for the clean-burning fuel and some analysts have predicted that the country could surpass Qatar to become the world’s largest supplier of LNG.

Woodside CEO Peter Coleman said, “This milestone is a credit to all those involved in the construction of Pluto, which proudly takes its place as Australia’s third LNG project. Woodside operates two of these projects.

“While the achievement of RFSU is a significant moment, our operations team remains focused on the path to steady-state production.”

First production is expected to begin in the next few weeks. The project already has 15 year sales agreements in place with Kansai energy and Tokyo Gas.

The project will derive its feed gas from the offshore Xena and Pluto gas fields, which are estimated to contain 4.8 trillion ft³ of gas reserves. The first phase of the Pluto LNG project consists of the newly completed onshore processing train, this will be fed by an offshore platform which is connected to five sub sea wells in the Pluto gas field.

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/drilling-and-production/22032012/woodside-petroelums-pluto-lng-liquefaction-plant-reaches-start-up/