Inpex submits Ichthys Phase 2 drilling plan

Inpex Corp. of Japan has submitted its environmental plan for the Ichthys gas field Phase 2 drilling campaign offshore Australia to the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority.

The program, in Browse basin production licence WA-50-L, will comprise the drilling, completion, and flow back of 12-15 development wells in Ichthys field.

Inpex said the campaign includes the potential for workovers and well intervention of existing and planned development wells.

Drilling will be done using a semisubmersible mobile offshore rig, which will be anchored to the seabed and use dynamic positioning equipment.

Other vessels may be used to undertake additional well-related activities during the program.

Drilling is scheduled to begin during the first half of 2020 and continue for up to 5 years.

The wells will be drilled in 235-275 m of water. The closest major town is Derby on the Kimberley coast about 390 km south of the permit’s southern boundary.

Inpex has approval granted for as many as 50 wells across 12-15 drill centers.

The initial development wells were drilled during 2014-18 and the field first came on stream in July 2018 sending gas via subsea pipeline to an LNG plant in Darwin and condensate direct to market from a floating production, storage, and offloading vessel moored near the field.