INPEX has selected Heerema Marine Contractors for the transport and installation of the 4800-metric-tonne Ichthys LNG Booster Compression Module. Heerema’s semi-submersible crane vessel Sleipnir will install the module on the Ichthys Explorer Central Processing Facility, located off the northwest coast of Western Australia.
The project is part of the Ichthys LNG phase 2 development. It adds to Heerema’s record of working in Australian waters, which also includes previous work supporting Ichthys LNG. In 2020, Heerema’s heavy lift vessel Aegir was in Australia installing Woodside’s Pluto Alpha module.
Heerema will transport the Booster Compression Module (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.
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Sleipnir goes Down Under
Heerema will be utilising 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 ninety per cent less NOx, 99 per cent less SOx, and 25 per cent less CO2 compared to running on Marine Gas Oil.
The vessel has a 20,000-metric-tonne lifting capacity; therefore, it is possible to optimise 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 minimised.
Also read: Heerema to decommission DNO’s Ketch and Schooner platforms
