Australian Energy Player Santos Receives Green Light for Barossa Gas Project

Santos, a prominent energy company in Australia, has recently obtained approval from the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) to proceed with its gas project in the Barossa area, located off the coast of the Northern Territory.

The authorization granted by NOPSEMA for the environmental plan (EP) of the Barossa development paves the way for Santos to advance its operated project, which is poised to supply gas to the existing Darwin liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility at Wickham Point.

Barossa Project Overview

The Barossa project entails the extraction of gas and condensate from six subsea wells, processing at a floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) facility, export of condensate via tankers, and transportation of natural gas through the Gas Export Pipeline (GEP) to Darwin LNG, connecting to the Bayu-Undan pipeline.

Located approximately 285 kilometers offshore north-northwest of Darwin, the Barossa field is set to be a significant source of natural gas and condensate for the region. The project, sanctioned in 2021, is a collaboration between Santos (50%), SK E&S (32.5%), and JERA (12.5%).

FPSO BW Opal Ready for Deployment

The FPSO BW Opal, designated for deployment at the Barossa field, was officially named in February 2025. This massive vessel, measuring 358 meters in length and 64 meters in width, is one of BW Offshore’s largest assets.

Equipped with a gas handling capacity of 850 million standard cubic feet per day and a design capacity of 11,000 barrels per day of stabilized condensate, the FPSO BW Opal is contracted for a fixed 15-year term with extension options for an additional ten years.

Project Timeline and Milestones

As per information from NOPSEMA, the hook-up and commissioning of the FPSO are scheduled to commence in the first half of 2025, with an estimated duration of three months, followed by the initial start-up phase. Subsequent activities are projected to span around four months.

Production at full capacity is anticipated to begin in the third quarter of 2025, with plans for sustained production over a 25-year period. Santos confirmed that the project is more than 82% complete and remains on target for the scheduled production timeline.

Noteworthy progress includes the completion of the Gas Export Pipeline (GEP) to transport gas from the Barossa field to Darwin LNG. Additionally, construction activities for the Darwin Pipeline Duplication are underway, with Allseas’ pipelay barge recently concluding nearshore construction tasks for the project.