Woodside Energy’s plan to tap new natural gas supply off the WA coast to cover unused capacity at the Goodwyn A production platform has been opened for public comment.
Woodside Energy’s plan to tap new natural gas supply off the Western Australian coast to cover unused capacity at the Goodwyn A production platform has been opened for public comment.
The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority put the plan up for public comment today, after deeming it had met regulatory requirements to progress to consultation stage.
NOPSEMA noted it had “not yet considered the acceptability of the project and associated environmental impacts”, an assessment that will be carried out once public consultation is closed.
Under the proposal, Woodside plans to tap as many as eight production wells in the vicinity of Goodwyn Alpha, tying them to the existing platform and ultimately sending the gas back to the Karratha plant.
“The development will target existing and previously undeveloped gas reservoirs west and south-west of the GWA platform,” NOPSEMA said.
“The proposed project comprises multiple subsea tiebacks to the existing Greater Western Flank subsea infrastructure, which will transfer the reservoir fluids to the existing GWA platform.”
At its closest point, the proposal would place Woodside around 30 kilometres from the Montebello Islands: now part of a substantial conservation habitat that incorporates Barrow Island, and once the site of nuclear weapons testing by the British in the 1950s.
Woodside hopes to make a final investment decision on the project this year, with drilling and subsea installation to be undertaken over 450 days across 2025 and 2026 towards a 2026 first gas target.
It estimates the field life would end in 2040, though no firm date has been included.
Woodside’s plans for the Goodwyn Alpha tiebacks are subject to approval from the North West Shelf joint venture and regulatory go-ahead.
Commissioned in 1995, Goodwyn Alpha would continue to operate regardless of a regulatory decision, but the submission hopes to add considerable life to the existing infrastructure at sea.
Stakeholders will be able to offer comment on the plan until September 23.
It comes at an interesting time for Woodside, with speculation swirling that company’s massive, undeveloped Browse field could be rejected on environmental grounds due to concerns over its effect on the marine environment.
The Scarborough project currently under development was temporarily stalled late last year after a traditional owner appealed against NOPSEMA’s decision to grant Woodside approval to carry out seismic works.
The company has embarked on a strong public relations campaign in recent months to reiterate the employment and energy benefits expected to come from the Scarborough field.
Scarborough is on track for first gas in 2026.
Meanwhile, Perth-headquartered Woodside has appeared to turn its attentions to the US, where it has announced deals for an undeveloped LNG project and an ammonia project during the past month.
The deals have a combined value of more than $US4 billion ($6 billion).
