Australian LNG company Woodside has selected the engineering firm Bechtel as the preferred execution contractor for the expansion of its Pluto LNG production and export plant in Western Australia. The proposed expansion will include a second train with a targeted capacity of 4-5 Mt/year. Bechtel will be in charge of the front-end engineering and design (FEED) phase of the expansion and Woodside targets FEED entry in the first quarter of 2019. The final investment decision (FID) for the project is expected for 2020, with commissioning set for 2024.
Pluto LNG's first train, rated 4.9 Mt/year, was commissioned by Woodside in 2012 for a cost of AUD14.9bn (US$10.6bn). The plant is supplied from the Pluto and Xena fields located in Western Australia 190 km off Karratha (Pilbara region).
In 2012, Woodside signed an agreement with the Government of Western Australia to keep 15% of the LNG for the domestic market under the condition of guaranteed profitability. Tokyo Gas and Kansai Electric Power have signed a contract for 3.75 Mt/year over 15 years (1.75-2 Mt/year for Kansai and 1.5-1.75 Mt/year for Tokyo Gas).