The pile, measuring about 66 m long and weighing more than 450 t, was driven into the seabed in a water depth of 250 m.
Ichthys Project Managing Director Louis Bon said that installation of the complex network of subsea infrastructure and equipment across the 800 sq km Ichthys Field was progressing well.
“The mooring installation works are part of the offshore installation campaign that the Ichthys LNG Project commenced in October 2014,”? Mr Bon said.
“As part of that campaign, we are installing more than 30,000 t of subsea infrastructure and equipment across the Ichthys Field so that we will be able to safely and efficiently extract gas and condensate.”?
“The mooring work is being carried out specifically to prepare for the arrival of the project’s two big offshore facilities – the central processing facility and the floating production, storage and offloading facility (FPSO).”?
The central processing facility and FPSO facility are scheduled to be towed to the field in 2016 and moored for the life of operations – approximately 40 years – once construction is completed in South Korea.
The mooring installation work scope is being led by Heerema Marine Contractors (HMC) Australia, under sub-contract to the lead contractor McDermott Australia, using the deepwater construction vessel DCV Aegir.
Moorings will be installed by the vessel in non-continuous phases, with piles driven first and mooring chains laid out later in the campaign.
The Ichthys LNG Project is scheduled to enter commissioning in 2016.
The project is a joint venture between INPEX, major partner Total and the Australian subsidiaries of Tokyo Gas, Osaka Gas, Chubu Electric Power and Toho Gas.