Amplitude Energy commissions JDR for umbilicals for Australia’s East Coast Supply Project

Australian independent operator Amplitude Energy contracted JDR Cable Systems in late April to provide supply subsea control umbilicals for the East Coast Supply Project (ECSP) offshore Victoria.

Umbilicals scope and project timeline

JDR will supply about 18 km of hydraulic control umbilicals, with options for a further 13 km, depending on the outcome of planned exploration wells later this year.

The ECSP will deliver gas to the Athena Gas Plant, which can process up to 150 TJ/d, to consumers in Victoria and South Australia.

JDR’s work scope covers thermoplastic electro-hydraulic production control umbilicals and associated distribution equipment (umbilical termination assemblies, umbilical termination heads, electrical flying leads, and hydraulic flying leads).

These will be delivered on drums for transportation to Australia, with the offshore installation campaign due to start in the latter part of 2027.

The umbilicals will integrate with existing subsea infrastructure connected to the Athena Gas Plant. JDR will manufacture these and the distribution equipment at its Hartlepool site in northeast England.

Drilling results and next wells in the Otway Basin

Amplitude is one of various operators in southeast Australia that have contracted the Transocean Equinox semisubmersible rig on a timeshare basis.

For the first well of the drilling phase of the ECSP in the offshore Otway Basin, the rig drilled the Elanora and Isabella gas propects, according to Amplitude's latest quarterly report. The Elanora Waarre A reservoir target turned out to be water-bearing, and a subsequent sidetrack into the Isabella Field encountered gas-bearing sands in the targeted Waarre C reservoir.

The pressure readings that followed a flow test of the Isabella reservoir did not support a commercial development, Amplituide concluded, and the well was plugged and abandoned.

The company plans to assess drilling/flow test data from the well over the next few months to inform its future exploration plans for the basin.

Amplitude expects Transocean Equinox to be available later this year to drill the planned Juliet exploration and Annie development wells. All long-lead items have also been ordered for drilling the Nestor prospect, but the commitment to drill will depend on the outcome of the Juliet well.

The company and its partners will likely take FID on the ECSP development phase later this year following the results of the remaining wells. First gas is currently targeted for 2028.