LNG

April 8 (LNGJ) - Beach Energy of Australia and Mitsui Exploration and Production of Japan, the developers of the onshore Perth Basin LNG export project in Western Australia, have pushed out schedules and increased costs because of quality issue during pre-commissioning of systems at the Waitsia Gas Plant.

   Beach said it would continue to utilise commercial arrangements to enable LNG cargo liftings prior to completion of the Waitsia Plant. The Adelaide-based company added that it had changed the contractor’s schedule for completion to early 2025 from mid-2024. “Total capital expenditure is A$600M-A$650M net to Beach, up from A$450M-A$500M,” said Beach. “Unavoidable processing costs based on the above first gas target will also be incurred,” it stated.

Beach Energy increased sales in the fiscal first half and was on scheduled to have first natural gas from an LNG feed-gas project in Western Australia and first gas from an East Coast venture while the company painted a gloomy picture of the energy business in New Zealand.

July 21 (LNGJ) - Beach Energy, the owner with Japanese trading house Mitsui of the Waitsia natural gas field in the onshore Perth Basin of Western Australia, said development was on schedule along with marketing of future LNG volumes.

   “In the Perth Basin, along with our joint venture participant Mitsui E&P Australia, we are nearing commencement of construction of the gas facility for the Waitsia Gas Project Stage II, with contractor Clough on track to turn the first sod in the first half of 2022,” said Beach Energy Chief Executive Matt Kay in the quarterly activities report. Beach said it was continuing the marketing of its 50 percent share of the 7.5 million tonnes per annum of LNG expected from the Waitsia field and to be processed at the Woodside Petroleum-operated North West Shelf liquefaction plant.

Beach Energy of Australia, the company destined to be the nation’s newest liquefied natural gas exporter, has posted its fiscal second-quarter earnings report showing sales volumes down 5 percent to A$344 million (US$262M) and lower production as it planned a future LNG marketing campaign.

French energy major Total said it paid $3.9 billion to close the acquisition of Anadarko Petroleum’s 26.5 percent operated interest in the Mozambique LNG project from Anadarko purchaser Occidental Petroleum.