Giant Scarborough gas platform arrives on location offshore Western Australia
Boskalis has delivered the 70,000-mt floating production unit (FPU) to the Woodside Energy-operated Scarborough gas field in the Carnarvon Basin offshore Western Australia.
The location is 375 km from Karratha on the Pilbara coast in the northern part of the state.
EPC contractor McDermott designed and built the platform, which underwent mating of the topsides and hull in China, from where it was towed more than 4,000 nautical miles to the Scarborough Field.
Following mooring using suction anchors, it will be connected to (eventually) 21 wells, with production sent through a new 430-km pipeline to the new Train 2 at the onshore Pluto LNG complex.
Woodside’s acting CEO Liz Westcott said the overall project was now more than 91% complete.
“At the start of 2025, the FPU hull and topsides were being constructed in separate yards. Since then, they have been integrated into a single unit and delivered into Australian waters, with work on securing the mooring lines under way," she said. "Our focus now shifts to the hook-up and commissioning phase in preparation for production, and ultimately, first LNG cargo, which is on track for the second half of this year.”
The platform, which according to McDermott is one of the five largest semisubs ever built, is designed to treat and compress gas prior to export. It will also be able to receive production tied back from future field developments in the area.
McDermott’s design included use of a hybrid gas-turbine and battery energy storage power system, combined with the use of waste heat recovery units, to cut operational emissions by 15%.
The gas will support domestic needs in Western Australia and the wider Asia-Pacific region.