Ichthys LNG onshore works in full swing

Construction is continuing at the Ichthys LNG plant near Darwin with mechanical and piping work currently taking place on the two LNG trains. 

“Around 430 people are currently working on the mechanical (MEC-1) package on the trains with many working on the Acid Gas Removal Unit (AGRU) absorber,” Inpex, the operator of the Ichthys LNG project, said in the latest construction update.

The AGRU absorber, which stands at 42 metres with a diameter of 6 metres, signified the heaviest equipment lift on the Australian LNG project at 752 tonnes, and was carried out  by JKC’s heavy lift subcontractor, Mammoet, Inpex said in the update.

When the raw feed gas is piped into Darwin via the project’s 889-kilometre gas export pipeline, it will contain naturally occurring impurities which will be removed by the AGRU absorber as part of the cleaning, or “gas sweetening” process.

A number of JKC mechanical, electrical, scaffolding and painting subcontractors have been working on the AGRU absorber, including UGL-Kentz, Kentz and MAS, the Japanese oil and gas company added.

Inpex announced in September that it has postponed production start-up at its Ichthys LNG project until the third quarter of 2017, from the end of 2016.

The company will also raise the project’s annual LNG production capacity by approximately 6% to 8.9 MTPA from the initially planned 8.4 MTPA.

The Ichthys project is a joint venture between Inpex, major partner Total, CPC Corporation and the Australian subsidiaries of Tokyo Gas, Osaka Gas, Kansai Electric, Chubu Electric Power and Toho Gas.

LNG World News Staff; Image: Inpex