Heerema Marine Contractors has been chosen as INPEX’s contractor of choice for the transport and installation of the 4,800 metric ton Ichthys LNG Booster Compression Module (BCM). The module will be installed on the Ichthys Explorer Central Processing Facility, located off the northwest coast of Western Australia, as part of the Ichthys LNG phase 2 development.
This project adds to Heerema’s long record of working in Australian waters, which also includes previous work supporting Ichthys LNG. In 2020, Aegir was in Australia installing Woodside's Pluto Alpha module.
Heerema will transport the BCM from the fabrication yard on Batam Island in Indonesia to the Ichthys Field before installing it in a single lift. The module will be used to extend the production plateau of the field.
Sleipnir goes Down Under
Heerema will be utilizing Sleipnir for both the transport and installation of the module. The vessel has a wide range of sustainability measures, including the use of emission-reducing LNG, which means the vessel produces 90% less NOx, 99% less SOx, and 25% less CO2 compared to running on Marine Gas Oil.
The vessel has a 20,000 metric ton lifting capacity; therefore, it is possible to optimize the BCM’s design due to the vessel’s ability to install the structure in a single lift. This action reduces the time required for platform shutdown, offshore installation, and hook-up duration. This way efficiency is increased and project risk is minimized.