Australia's Woodside receives final module, targeting LNG production in Q4 2026

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 2, Woodside confirmed that the final and heaviest module for the Pluto LNG Train 1 modification project has arrived at the Karratha site in Western Australia. The module, approximately 10 stories high and weighing around 4,500 tonnes, has been moved into its final installation position upon arrival, with installation, connection, and system integration work to follow. This delivery completes approximately four years of design, fabrication, and transportation work.

The Train 1 modification is a key component of the onshore scope of the Scarborough energy project, primarily aimed at enabling the existing Pluto LNG first production train to process gas from the Scarborough field. The front-end design of this module was completed in London, followed by approximately two years of fabrication in Thailand, before being transported nearly 2,500 nautical miles to Western Australia. The entire modification project has delivered three fully integrated modules, containing substantial structural steel, piping, and process equipment.

The Scarborough energy project includes the offshore Scarborough field, the new Pluto Train 2 liquefaction train, the modification of the existing Pluto Train 1, and an integrated remote operations center in Perth. Woodside is currently advancing commissioning and start-up activities for Pluto Train 2, with the project target remaining the loading of the first LNG cargo in the fourth quarter of 2026. The Scarborough project is planned to have an LNG production capacity of approximately 8 million tonnes per annum, of which the new Pluto Train 2 is designed with a capacity of approximately 5 million tonnes per annum.

The offshore scope has also entered the late engineering phase. Following the connection of the umbilical and all subsea risers to the Scarborough floating production unit, topside commissioning has commenced. With the arrival of the final Train 1 modification module, work on modifying the existing onshore production train has further transitioned into the installation and integration phase, which, together with Pluto Train 2 commissioning, points toward the first LNG cargo milestone in the fourth quarter.