First Santos gas from Barossa field of Darwin coast a giant step closer

A critical milestone on the path to first gas to Darwin from Santos’ Barossa gas field approximately 285 km north of our city, has arrived in the form of the BW Opal floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel.

A critical milestone on the path to first gas to Darwin from Santos Barossa gas field approximately 285 km north of our city, has arrived in the form of the BW Opal floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel.

A critical milestone on the path to first gas to Darwin from Santos’ Barossa gas field approximately 285 km north of our city, has arrived in the form of the BW Opal floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel.

Santos said the FPSO has been successfully hooked up, and final commissioning activities are underway.

The 262 km gas export pipeline and 123 km Darwin pipeline duplication are complete, in addition to subsea infrastructure required for first gas.

The FPSO is the production centrepiece of Santos’ Barossa LNG project, which has had more than $6 billion invested on the project to date.

Five wells of the six-well program have now been drilled with the fifth well being prepared for flow testing.

The final well is expected to be completed post September this year.

Santos CEO Kevin Gallagher . Picture - Supplied

Production from three wells can deliver full production rates at the Darwin LNG plant if required.

Santos Managing Director and Chief Executive Office Kevin Gallagher said the project remains on track for first gas in the third quarter of 2025, and within the original cost guidance.

“Barossa is a world class asset and, together with the Pikka phase one project in Alaska, is expected to deliver a 30 per cent increase in production over the next eighteen months or so compared to 2024,” he said.

“These projects will set the company up with long-term, stable cash flows to underpin compelling shareholder returns.

“The Barossa LNG project will deliver reliable energy for the next decade and beyond that supports energy security, national security and our partners’ emissions reduction plans across the Asia region.”

In addition, the Darwin LNG life extension (DLE) work scope, in support of the Barossa LNG project, is on track to be completed early in the third quarter of 2025, with work now 90 per cent complete.

The Darwin Life extension project and associated infrastructure has created 300 construction and maintenance jobs in Darwin with a total investment of $1 billion.

A UAE-led consortium of investors has made a nearly $30bn bid to take over Santos.

Originally published as First Santos gas from Barossa field of Darwin coast a giant step closer