NPEX CORPORATION (INPEX) announced that the necessary commissioning of the INPEX-operated Ichthys LNG Project’s (the Project) first train (natural gas liquefaction facility) at the onshore gas liquefaction plant, Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facility (Ichthys Venturer) and subsea production systems has been completed in view of readiness for production startup. 

The Project has already completed drilling the production wells required for the startup of production, and the approximately 890 kilometer-long gas export pipeline is also complete. Between April and May this year, the Project will complete commissioning required for production startup  at the Central Processing Facility (Ichthys Explorer) and commence production of gas. Thereafter, the Project will begin the production and shipment of condensate, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in sequence. While the project’s activity schedule going forward may fluctuate depending on weather conditions at the worksites, preparation activities and other factors, INPEX will continue to work toward the success of the Ichthys LNG Project with the understanding and cooperation of all its stakeholders, including the project’s joint venture partners, the local communities, the Australian federal government and the governments of Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

The impact of this development on the profit outlook in the company’s forecasted consolidated financial results for the year ending March 2018 is nil. The company will factor the project’s expected revenue contributions into the forecasted consolidated financial results for the year ending March 2019, scheduled to be announced in due course.