Beach Energy (Operations) Limited (Beach) is the part owner and nominated operator of the Otway Gas Development. The development consists of offshore and onshore infrastructure necessary for the commercialisation of gas and liquids in the Geographe and Thylacine fields off the coast of Victoria. Development of the gas fields commenced in 2004, by Woodside Petroleum Ltd under a joint venture arrangement, with first production in mid-2007.
The scope of this Environment Plan (EP) is the early dive installation campaign in the vicinity of the Thylacine wellhead platform. The early dive installation campaign is required to prepare for the future tie-in of the Thylacine Development wells; which are expected to be drilled in 2021 – 2022 and were approved under a separate EP (Otway Development Drilling and Well Abandonment EP – accepted Feb 2021).
The activity is located in the Thylacine field (Petroleum Title T/L2), entirely within Commonwealth waters approximately 70 km offshore from Port Campbell, Victoria. Water depth at the activity location is approximately 100 m.
Early dive Installation activities will be centred around the Thylacine Diverless Integration Skid (T-DIS), which is located approximately 30 m from the base of the Thylacine-A Wellhead Platform.
The early dive installation will be undertaken in a single campaign, expected to take approximately 7 to 21 days (accounting for potential weather delays). The campaign is planned to be undertaken during an offshore campaign window in Q4 2022 – Q2 2023.
Vessel based activities will be conducted on a 24-hour basis for the duration of the campaign. Platform support will likely be limited to daylight operations, but may extend to 24-hr.
Installation of the T-DIS will allow future connection of flowlines to the field to be undertaken using an ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle), without the need for divers. Rigid spools will be installed connecting the T-DIS to the existing production and MEG facilities at the Thylacine-A Wellhead Platform.
The new infrastructure will be overboarded from the installation vessel away from the installation location but within the operational area, and then lowered into position. If the window for overboarding is short, the vessel may lower new infrastructure directly onto the seabed away from the installation location, and temporarily wet-park items prior to installation. Wet parking will occur within the operational area and will be temporary.
