Nextgen readies connection for Ichthys LNG, Prelude FLNG

Nextgen Group and Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks (ASN) on Wednesday said the 2100 km subsea, fibre-optic network purposely built for Ichthys LNG and Prelude FLNG projects has been put into service. 

The North West Cable System (NWCS) links Darwin in the Northern Territory to Port Hedland in Western Australia, connecting the Inpex-led Ichthys LNG project offshore facilities and the Shell Prelude floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility, 200 km offshore in the Browse Basin, to their onshore data centres and business headquarters, the two companies said in a statement.

Nextgen Group CEO, David Yuile added that the system does not only provide support to Australia’s offshore oil and gas industry but is new infrastructure for businesses and consumers in regional communities at the cable landing points.

The US$34 billion Ichthys project is scheduled to start production by the third quarter of 2017, and is set to have an annual LNG production capacity 8.9 mtpa.

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

Shell’s Prelude FLNG unit is currently under construction in Geoje, South Korea, before moving to Australia to begin operations.

The facility is expected to remain on station at least 25 years and is expected to produce 3.6 mtpa of LNG, 1.3 mtpa of condensate and 0.4 mtpa of LPG for export.

LNG World News Staff