Browse flng

The Browse Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) Project being developed by Woodside Energy Ltd in the Browse Basin, off the northern Western Australia coast, took a further step forward in the late June, 2015, when it was announced that agreement had been reached for the project to now enter into a front end engineering and design (FEED) stage.

Woodside to Operate the Browse FLNG Project

The Browse FLNG Project is to be operated by Woodside on behalf of joint venture partners comprising; Woodside Energy Limited the 30.60 percent, Shell Australia with 27 percent. BP Development Australia 17.33 percent, Japan Australia LNG (MIMI Browse Pty Ltd) 14.40 percent and PetroChina International Investment (Australia) Pty Ltd with 10.67 percent.

Browse FLNG Project to Include the Torosa, Calliance and Brecknock gas Fields

The Browse FLNG project is located about 425 kilometres north of Broome, off the Western Australian coast, in water to a depth of between 350 and 700 metres to exploit the Torosa, Calliance and Brecknock natural gas fields. The project is planning to use three FLNG facilities using Shell FLNG technology combined with Woodside's own expertise in offshore development. The three gas fields contain a total of 453 million barrels of condensate and 15.4 trillion cubic feet of dry gas.

Browse FLNG Project one Step Away from Commercial Production

The FEED stage of development, that the project is currently entering, involves the determining of what is required to finalise the cost involved, along with any technical definition on the project that will enable a final investment decision to be made. The process will take into account the sequencing and timing of FLNG deployment, as well as any details relating to the commercialisation of the project.

The Browse FLNG development will comprise a FLNG facility being moored above each of the three gas fields.The gas from each field will be routed from the gas field to the FLNG by way of risers. Once the gas reaches the FLNG it will be processed to produce three products; a natural gas condensate, LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) and natural gas. Impurities will be removed and liquefication will be obtained through freezing before it is stored in the FLNG hull. The liquid by-products, along with the LNG, will be offloaded directly onto ocean-going carriers for delivery to the various world markets. The FLNG process eliminates the need to pump the gas from the fields over long distances along the sea floor to reach an on-shore facility where it is normally treated before being able to be transferred onto a carrier for shipping to the world market.

The joint venture partners, along with Woodside, have also entered into a new Joint Operating Agreement to oversee management and governance of the Browse FLNG Joint Venture asset. Woodside will remain the operator of the project.

All Browse FLNG joint venture partners are keen to begin commercial production of the Browse Basin gas resource at the earliest opportunity as are the Western Australian and Australian governments, as the project has the potential to create many jobs and provide long lasting economic benefits to all involved.