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Subsea News 26-14
vol. 26 - no. 20     7 January 2010
 

Latest front page news:

 

TIMOR LESTE THROWS DOWN THE GAUNTLET
ON GREATER SUNRISE

 
From Australia (RW): The Timor Leste Government has issued a warning that it will not support the Woodside-led group’s development plans for the Greater Sunrise complex (SEN, 26/19) in the Timor Sea if it involves a floating LNG facility or a pipeline to facilities in Darwin.

A portion of the complex of fields to be developed lies within the Joint Petroleum Development Area administered by Timor Leste and Australia.

Secretary of State Agio Pereira has also hinted that the government may bring in Malaysia’s state company Petronas to develop the field, although he did not make it clear how this was legally possible.

Pereira questioned the commercial viability of Woodside’s proposals and revealed the increasingly hardline stance and displeasure his government has taken about Woodside’s decision to eliminate any East Timor facilities location from its development options.

Woodside has repeatedly argued that building a 200km pipeline in deep waters across an ocean trench that is prone to seismic activity will lead to greater costs and technical risks than the FLNG or pipeline to Darwin options.

Pereira, however, maintains that the East Timor option has not been properly assessed.

Delay possible

The Timor Leste attitude is likely to delay Woodside’s plans to achieve its planned final investment decision on the project in 2011.

Woodside says it is working with its partners to finalise a development plan that meets the requirements laid out in the treaty between Timor Leste and Australia and the Greater Sunrise participants.

An FLNG vessel moored over the Sunrise fields would be capable of producing 4mt/a of LNG a year plus condensate via a phased development beginning with seven production wells.

The Darwin option would require an fpso moored over the fields to separate and store condensate plus a 540km pipeline to take dry gas to a Darwin LNG plant capable of producing up to 5mt/a.