Australia

The Ichthys LNG Project and Surrounding exploration blocks

Ichthys LNG Project

Contract area
(block)
Project status Production capacity Venture company
(established)
Interest owned
(*Operator)
WA-50-L/
WA-51-L
In production LNG: Approximately 8.9 million tons per year
LPG: Approximately 1.65 million tons per year
Condensate: Approximately 100 thousand barrels per day (at peak)
INPEX Ichthys Pty Ltd
(April 5, 2011)
INPEX Ichthys Pty Ltd* 66.245%
TotalEnergies 26.000%
CPC 2.625%
Tokyo Gas 1.575%
Osaka Gas 1.200%
Kansai Electric Power 1.200%
JERA 0.735%
Toho Gas 0.420%

In 1998, INPEX acquired an exploration permit in the block where the Ichthys Gas-Condensate Field is now located, and following development studies including exploration, evaluation, and front-end engineering design (FEED) work, INPEX announced its final investment decision (FID) in January 2012. Following the completion and commissioning of production facilities, INPEX commenced production in July 2018 and later began shipping condensate, LNG, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Stable production has continued since the launch of production in 2018, and 117 LNG cargoes were shipped from the plant in 2021 and 112 LNG cargoes in 2022. There are no plans for any large-scale shutdown maintenance in 2023, so assuming that operations proceed smoothly, we expect to ship around 11 LNG cargos per month . Also, in 2023, we aim to further increase the current annual LNG production capacity of 8.9 million tons and build a framework to stably supply 9.3 million tons per year as set forth in our Medium-term Business Plan one year ahead of schedule.

Introduction of CCS

While maintaining and expanding LNG production, INPEX addresses climate change by considering CCS projects for the capture, underground injection and storage of CO2 emitted from our production operations. In August 2022, we were awarded a GHG storage assessment permit (title G-7-AP) located off the northwestern coast of the Northern Territory, Australia. Going forward, we intend to conduct evaluation and appraisal work in the block and assess the feasibility of introducing CCS in the late 2020s. We will introduce CCS to Ichthys in the late 2020s and aim to start injection of 2 million tons or more of CO2 per year as a first step.

Contract area
(block)
Project status Venture company Interest owned
(*Operator)
G-7-AP
(GHG storage assessment permit)
Under evaluation INPEX Browse E&P Pty Ltd
(October 21, 2013)
*INPEX Browse E&P Pty Ltd 53%
TotalEnergies CCS Australia 26%
Woodside Energy 21%

Surrounding exploration blocks

Contract area
(block)
Project status Venture company
(established)
Interest owned
(*Operator)
WA-84-R/WA-85-R/WA-86-R Under exploration
(blocks under appraisal on the discovery of gas and condensate)
INPEX Browse E&P Pty Ltd
(October 21, 2013)
INPEX Browse E&P Pty Ltd 40%
Santos* 60%
WA-56-R INPEX Browse E&P Pty Ltd* 60%
TotalEnergies 40%
WA-80-R INPEX Browse E&P Pty Ltd 26.6064%
Santos* 63.6299%
Beach 9.7637%
WA-281-P INPEX Browse E&P Pty Ltd 29.5%
Santos* 70.5%
WA-74-R/WA-79-R/WA-81-R INPEX Browse E&P Pty Ltd 40%
Santos* 60%
WA-285-P Under exploration INPEX Browse E&P Pty Ltd* 62.245%
TotalEnergies 30.000%
CPC 2.625%
Tokyo Gas 1.575%
Osaka Gas 1.200%
Kansai Electric Power 1.200%
JERA 0.735%
Toho Gas 0.420%
WA-532-P/WA-533-P INPEX Browse E&P Pty Ltd* 100%
WA-343-P INPEX Browse E&P Pty Ltd* 100%
AC/P36 INPEX Browse E&P Pty Ltd* 50%
Murphy 50%
AC/P66 INPEX Browse E&P Pty Ltd* 100%
EP(A)318 INPEX Oil & Gas Australia Pty Ltd
(February 28, 2012)

INPEX holds interests in 16 exploration blocks in the vicinity of the Ichthys Gas-Condensate Field and has discovered gas in several of these blocks. Expecting various synergies, including effectively using existing facilities, we will accelerate participation in exploration activities in the vicinity of the Ichthys Field as well as the development of discovered but undeveloped assets to further ensure a sustained production volume in the long term, and then aim to further expand production volume visualizing the expansion of Ichthys in around 2030.

CPF Ichthys Explorer
Onshore LNG plant


Prelude FLNG Project (WA-44-L)

Contract area
(block)
Project status Production capacity Venture company
(established)
Interest owned
(*Operator)
WA-44-L In production LNG: Approximately 3.6 million tons per year
LPG: Approximately 400 thousand tons per year (at peak)
Condensate: Approximately 1.3 million tons per year (at peak)
INPEX Oil & Gas Australia Pty Ltd
(February 28, 2012)
INPEX Oil & Gas Australia 17.5%
Shell* 67.5%
KOGAS 10.0%
OPIC 5.0%

In June 2012, INPEX acquired a 17.5% interest in the Prelude FLNG (floating LNG) Project from Shell during the project’s development stage. The Prelude FLNG Project involves the production of approximately 3.6 million tons per year of LNG, 400 thousand tons per year of LPG at peak and approximately 1.3 million tons of condensate per year at peak from the Prelude Gas Field located in Block WA-44-L, approximately 475 kilometers north-northeast of Broome, off the coast of Western Australia. Shell as the operator of the Prelude FLNG Project announced its final investment decision (FID) in May 2011. Following the completion and commissioning of production facilities, gas production from the wellhead commenced in December 2018. The first condensate cargo was shipped in March 2019 followed by the first LNG cargo in June 2019.

FLNG facility

Bayu-Undan Project (PSC-TL-SO-T 19-12 (former JPDA03-12))

Contract area
(block)
Project status Production volume** Venture company
(established)
Interest owned
(*Operator)
Bayu-Undan Unit In production Crude oil: 5 Kbbld
Natural gas***: 99 MMcf/d
LPG: 2 Kbbld
INPEX Sahul, Ltd.
(March 30, 1993)
INPEX Sahul 11.378120%
Santos* 43.437907%
SK E&S 25.000000%
Eni 10.985973%
Tokyo Timor Sea Resources (JERA/Tokyo Gas) 9.198000%
  1. ** Daily production volume on the basis of all fields and average rate of fiscal year ended December 31, 2022
  2. *** Not the volume at wellheads but corresponds to the gas volume sold to buyers

In 1993, INPEX acquired an interest in the former JPDA03-12 contract area, which was jointly managed by Australia and East Timor. Exploration within this contract area resulted in the discovery of oil and gas fields. Of these, studies revealed that the Undan structure and the Bayu structure, located in the adjacent former JPDA03-13 contract area, were a single structure. The interest holders unitized both contract areas into one in 1999, which is now known as the Bayu-Undan Gas-Condensate Field and produces and ships condensate, LPG and LNG. As a result of the ratification of a maritime boundary treaty between Australia and East Timor, a new production sharing contract (PSCTL-SO-T 19-12) was bound with East Timor in 2019. As part of action on climate change, the project is considering a CCS project for capture, underground injection and storage of the CO2 emitted from the Barossa Gas Field located in waters northwest of Australia and other oil and gas fields around it, by reusing the production facilities of the Bayu-Undan Gas-Condensate Field after the termination of production there, along with the Darwin LNG facilities.

Bayu-Undan offshore facility

Others

  • Griffin decommissioning annual report – December 2023 [PDF:1.27MB]