FEED contract

INPEX Browse has awarded AMEC Engineering the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) contract for the Ichthys Field off Western Australia.

The contract includes FEED for the offshore gas and condensate production facilities and an export pipeline more than 850km long to the Ichthys LNG plant in Darwin.

AMEC’s responsibilities include provision of project management, engineering and other resources necessary to produce the FEED for a large semi-submersible gas production facility, a Floating Production, Storage and Offloading facility (FPSO), Umbilicals, Risers and Flowlines (URF), and a gas export pipeline.

AMEC will be supported by subcontractors Aker Solutions and JP Kenny (JPK), who will conduct the pipeline and URF FEED engineering work.

‘Using our global delivery capability, AMEC is one of the few companies able to produce an integrated design solution for this large and complex project,’ said Neil Bruce, chief operating officer of AMEC's Natural Resources division. ‘We recognise the importance of this project to Australia and Japan and are committed to delivering a successful FEED to INPEX.’

The Ichthys Field lies approximately 850km south west of Darwin in the Timor Sea and is one of Australia's largest undeveloped gas fields. The Ichthys Field is operated by INPEX Browse in a joint venture with Total E&P Australia.

The Ichthys Project is expected to have an initial capacity to produce more than eight million tonnes of LNG per annum, approximately 1.6 million tonnes of LPG per annum and 100,000 barrels of condensate per day at peak.

It is anticipated that the gas production facilities will be in operation for at least 40 years.