Voyage To Pluto  

Woodside are in the news, with a report that the Pluto field is likely to be developed and the LNG operations at Karratha further expanded. No doubt most of this gas will end up headed for China and the US west coast.

Woodside Petroleum Limited today announced that it has begun planning a new liquefied natural gas project in Western Australia, based on its 100%-owned Pluto gas field. The Pluto field, which was discovered by Woodside in April this year in permit WA-350-P, is about 190 kilometres north-west of Karratha and 90 kilometres west of the Woodside-operated Goodwyn production platform on the North West Shelf.

Chief executive officer, Mr Don Voelte said the company had intensified and accelerated its studies and appraisal program to commercialise Pluto due to a forecast strong LNG demand window opening between 2010 and 2012 in the Asia-Pacific and North America. “We are now confident that we have sufficient gas to justify an LNG plant with a capacity of five to seven million tonnes a year to create enduring value for Woodside’s shareholders and for the citizens of Australia.”

The group said established customers in Asia and potential customers in North America had shown strong interest in Pluto because of its potential size and commercial flexibility.