Fugro secures more work in Timor-Leste alongside new contract in Australia

September 24, 2026, by Nadja Skopljak

Dutch Fugro has secured additional survey contracts offshore Timor-Leste that will support the planning and development of critical offshore energy infrastructure associated with two gas developments.

In addition to the geophysical contract announced in July, Fugro has secured two further awards from Timor-Leste’s Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (MPRM) in support of the Greater Sunrise TLNG development and Bayu-Undan Pipelines Highway projects.

The awards comprise a six-month geotechnical survey and a twelve-month metocean survey as part of the wider survey campaign for the proposed pipeline routes, expected to start in the first quarter of 2027, following the geophysical work in the third quarter of 2026.

The campaign will support the Greater Sunrise Gas Export Pipeline from the Greater Sunrise field to Timor-Leste for the TLNG development planned at Natarbora on the south coast of Timor-Leste, and the Bayu-Undan Pipeline Highway to Natarbora.

The aim of the surveys is to provide a comprehensive understanding of seabed and subsurface conditions along the proposed corridors to inform route selection and future engineering.

The project will be supported by Fugro’s Remote Operations Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Safri Drahman, Fugro’s APAC Regional Business Line Director, said: “Winning the geophysical, geotechnical and metocean contracts reflects our ability to deliver fully integrated site characterisation solutions for complex deepwater developments. By combining our expertise with deepwater technologies, we can provide high-quality Geo-data and engineering insights to support informed decision-making, reduce project risk, and advance the Greater Sunrise and Bayu Undan developments in Timor-Leste.”

Bayu-Undan is a gas-condensate field located 250 kilometers south of East Timor, within Timor-Leste’s maritime exclusive jurisdiction. It commenced production in 2004, with the companies behind the project having secured a seventh extension of the term of the production sharing contract (PSC).

The Greater Sunrise development, located approximately 140 kilometers south of Timor-Leste, comprises the Sunrise and Troubadour gas and condensate fields. Discovered in 1974, the complex holds resources of 5.1 trillion cubic feet of gas and 226 million barrels of condensate. The project is expected to start producing natural gas by 2028-2030. Partners in the project are TIMOR GAP with 56.56%, Woodside Energy with 33.44% and Osaka Gas with 10%.

The announcement comes shortly after Fugro secured a marine asset integrity contract in Australia for the replacement of critical subsea infrastructure to support the long-term reliability and performance of the client’s offshore assets, as well as the provision of subsea survey and inspection services using remote operations capabilities.

Offshore operations will be carried out from Fugro’s multipurpose support vessel Fugro Etive.

The contract follows an initial phase of engineering and planning activities with detailed engineering to begin in the coming weeks. Offshore operations are expected to commence towards the end of 2027.