Name of the Project
Barossa project to backfill Darwin liquefied natural gas (DLNG) plant.

Location
The project is located 300 km north of Darwin, within Santos’ Northern Australia portfolio, one of the company’s core long-life, natural gas assets.

The project area encompasses petroleum permit NT/RL5 over the Barossa field and petroleum permit NT/RL6 to the south over the Caldita field to be developed as a potential future phase of the project.

Project Owner/s
Oil and gas major Santos currently holds a 62.5% operating interest in the Barossa joint venture (JV), along with partner SK E&S (37.5%). Santos is also a JV partner and operator in DLNG, with a 68.4% interest.

Project Description
The Barossa development comprises a floating production, storage and offloading facility (FPSO), with six subsea production wells to be drilled in the initial phase, and supporting in-field subsea infrastructure and a gas export pipeline tied into the existing pipeline between Bayu-Undan and Darwin.

Barossa’s development will extend the operating life of the DLNG plant by more than 20 years.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
$2.6-billion.

Planned Start/End Date
The project aims to provide gas for the DLNG plant after the Bayu-Undan reservoir ceases production after 2022. A final investment decision on Barossa is expected shortly, with first gas targeted for the first half of 2025.

Latest Developments
Santos has reported that its $2.6-billion Barossa project is running on schedule and within budget, and is now about 15% complete.

Work on the floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) started in July this year, following the award of a construction, connection and operation contract to international vessel builder and operator BW Offshore.

The FPSO is being built in South Korea and Singapore before being towed and permanently located in the field where it will process natural gas before being transported by pipeline to Darwin LNG.

The Barossa JV will provide the next gas source for the existing Santos-operated Darwin LNG plant, once current reserves from the Bayu-Undan field, in the Timor Sea, have been depleted.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
MODEC and a consortium between TechnipFMC and Samsung Heavy Industries (FPSO);  and INTECSEA (subsea infrastructure); Allseas Group (engineering, procurement, construction and installation of the gas export pipeline); and BW Offshore (construction, connection and operation contract for the FPSO).

Contact Details for Project Information
Santos media enquiries Joanna Vaughan, tel +61 2 9276 1134 or email joanna.vaughan@santos.com; or investor enquiries Andrew Nairn, tel +61 8 8116 5314 or email andrew.nairn@santos.com.