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Varanus Island Hub Operations

Activity type Construction and installation of a pipeline
Activity subtypes Operation of a petroleum pipeline
Drilling
Lifecycle Classification Operation & Production
Submitted by Santos WA Northwest Pty Ltd
Submission date 25 January, 2022
Subtype Revision
Decision date 30 June, 2022
RMS ID 6896
Status Finalised
Outcome Accepted
Link to previously accepted EP 4947 - Varanus Island Hub Operations
Contact
Dawn MacInnes
Phone: 08 6218 7100
Location map (click to enlarge)
Location map - Activity: Varanus Island Hub Operations  (refer to description)
Description

The Varanus Island (VI) Hub in Commonwealth Waters consists of the John Brookes, Spartan and Greater East Spar (GES) gas fields in offshore Commonwealth waters on the North West Shelf of Western Australia. Production fluids from these fields are transported by subsea pipelines to the VI oil and gas hub (VI Hub) located in State waters.

The operation of the VI Hub in Commonwealth waters has been managed under the Varanus Island Hub Operations Environment Plan for Commonwealth Waters (John Brookes, Greater East Spar and Associated Facilities) (EA-66-RI-10003) accepted by the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) on 11 September 2014. The EP was revised (five yearly revision) in August 2019 in accordance with Regulation 19 of the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Environment) Regulations 2009 (OPGGS(E)R 2009) and accepted by NOPSEMA in July 2020.

This revision is made in accordance with Regulation 17(5) of the OPGGS (E) Regulations (2009) and incorporates the commissioning and operations associated with the single well Spartan gas field that will be tied back to the John Brookes wellhead platform (WHP) via a single flexible flowline and umbilical.

The environmental impacts and risks associated with the development drilling and installation activities associated with the Spartan gas field are addressed in the Spartan Development Addendum (EA-60-RI-10003.02). The Spartan Development activities covered in the Spartan Addendum consist of drilling the Spartan Development well, installation of subsea equipment and pre-commissioning activities to connect the new well to the existing John Brookes Wellhead Platform via a new flexible subsea flowline.

The Spartan Development well will be drilled in production licence WA-63-L. The Spartan Development activities are planned to commence in Q3 2022. Drilling activities are expected to take approximately 42 days and subsea installation and pre-commissioning activities approximately 25 days.

Summary - Activities and approximate timing:
Drilling and completion: commence Q3 2022, 42 days duration
Subsea installation and pre-commissioning: commence Q3/Q4 2022, 25 days duration
Topsides activities and commissioning (Undertaken under the VI Hub Operations EP): commenced Q4 2021

Other Details
Locations Pilbara
Commonwealth waters adjacent to Western Australia
Titles (or other instruments) WA-29-L
WA-45-L
WA-13-L
WA-63-L
WA-214-P
WA-50-R
WA-21-PL
WA-5-PL
WA-11-PL
WA-30-PL
Current Documents (Finalised)
EP Document


OPEP Document


Location map


Appendices


Previous EP Documents (Under assessment)
EP Document


OPEP Document


Location map


Appendices