INPEX ships first LNG cargo

LNG, INPEX, Ichthys
Image courtesy INPEX

The first shipment of liquefied natural gas from the INPEX-operated Ichthys LNG onshore processing facilities in Darwin has been sent.

The US$34 billion Ichthys project – one of the world’s largest oil and gas projects – is expected to supply more than 8.9 million tonnes of LNG per year throughout the next 40 years.

Around 70 per cent of the product produced by Ichthys will be supplied to Japanese customers, contributing to the stable supply of low emissions energy and meeting demand from Asia and the rest of the world.

LNG
Image: Ichthys Explorer CPF in the Ichthys field, courtesy INPEX

APPEA chief executive Dr Malcolm Roberts congratulated INPEX and Ichthys joint venture participants on the first cargo from the project.

“Industry applauds this first LNG shipment using the purpose-built Pacific Breeze destined for the INPEX‑operated Naoetsu LNG terminal in Japan,” he said.

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“This world-class LNG Project – seven years in the making – will deliver jobs, taxation and export revenues for Australia for decades to come.

“More than 30,000 people worldwide have worked on this project, including up to 10,000 workers in Darwin during the plant’s construction phase, providing a major economic boost for the Northern Territory.”

LNG
Image: Dr Malcolm Roberts, courtesy INPEX

Dr Roberts said Australia was reaping the rewards of more than $200 billion worth of new investments that will see exports surge from 30 million tonnes in 2015 to more than 85 million tonnes by 2020.

Six new projects have now been completed since 2014 (QCLNG, GLNG, Australia Pacific LNG, Gorgon, Wheatstone and Ichthys) with the Prelude Floating LNG also nearing completion.

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