Ichthys enters the commissioning and start-up phase

18.04.2017

The Inpex Ichthys offshore gas project*, for which Secauto successfully bid in 2014, is entering its start-up phase.

Secauto has designed and delivered 57 analysis units for the two floating units which are under construction in shipyards in South Korea. The physico-chemical measuring devices concern the qualitative and quantitative measurement of the fluids from gas and hydrocarbon production processes, the measurement of pollution related to the monitoring of traces of oil in discharges and measurements related to the safety of the facilities by way of oxygen and HC monitoring in the inert gas circuits.

Some figures concerning the two platforms:
CPF: Central Processing Facility:

• The world's largest semi-submersible platform ever built by Samsung Heavy Industries.
• 150 m x 110 m
• 140,000 tonnes (14 time the weight of the Eiffel Tower)
• 25,000 tons of chains for anchoring on the high seas at its final Australian destination.
• ... and 4 Secauto analysers.

It will produce 8.5 million tons of gas per year which will be liquefied at a site in Darwin in Australia via a 900 km undersea gas pipeline.

The FPSO: Floating Production Storage & Offloading unit:

• 333 m long
• 69 m wide
• 260,000 tons
• ... and 53 Secauto analysers.

It stores the liquid hydrocarbons from the field, generates energy, performs the chemical treatments, stores and transfers the production of 100,000 barrels per day.
It will be positioned 3 km from the CPF.

The platforms will be towed between the months of June and August to reach their destination off the coast of Darwin in Australia.


* The Ichtys project involves the development of two offshore gas fields located 200 km off the northwest coast of Australia. After extraction, the gas is processed on a giant semi-submersible platform before being routed through a pipeline for more than 900 km to the liquefaction plant located in Darwin (2 liquefaction trains).
The condensates are processed and stored on the FPSO unit and loaded into tankers directly at sea.
The facilities are located in a hurricane zone and they are intended to operate and produce for at least 45 years, hence the implementation of special materials which are highly resistant to marine conditions.