Bayu-Undan Field stops producing, CCS conversion scheme progressing

Production from the Bayu-Undan gas condensate field in the Timor Sea has finally ceased, according to operator Santos.

The field, discovered in 1995, was originally developed by ConocoPhillips in phases, with a central production and processing complex of two platforms, an unmanned wellhead platform to the east, and an FSO. Dry gas was exported through a subsea pipeline to the Darwin LNG complex at Wickham Point, near Darwin in Australia’s Northern Territory.

Santos and its partners have been working on a project involving upgrades at the platform complex for storing captured CO₂, with an associated carbon capture plant for the nearby Barossa gas-condensate development.

Discussions continue with the governments of Timor-Leste and Australia on the required regulatory and fiscal frameworks, approvals, inter-governmental and commercial agreements to progress the CCS project toward FID readiness.

Offshore Western Australia, production also ceased recently through Santos’ Ningaloo Vision FPSO. Since 2010, the vessel had recovered more than 60 MMbbl of low-sulfur crude from the offshore Van Gogh, Coniston and Novara fields.

Suspension of operations at Ningaloo Vision is progressing as planned, with sailaway planned later in the current quarter.

In the same region, three wells were decommissioned during the second quarter at Santos’ Mutineer, Exeter, Fletcher and Finucane, concluding an 11-well decommissioning campaign.