Fifth Phase of Development

The fifth major phase of development – the Phase V LNG Expansion – began in August 2005 and involved the construction of a fifth LNG train capable of processing up to 4.4 million tonnes annually, a second LNG loading berth and associated infrastructure. Following a three year construction period, Train 5 produced first LNG in August 2008, boosting the North West Shelf Venture’s total annual production capacity to 16.3 million tonnes.

Construction of the North West Shelf Venture’s third offshore production facility, the Angel platform, began in 2005 and first gas was produced for processing at the Karratha Gas Plant in October 2008.

Meanwhile, during the fifth phase of development, the North West Shelf Venture made history when it delivered the first cargo of Australian LNG to China in June 2006, marking the start of a 25 year contract with Guangdong Dapeng LNG – at the time Australia’s single largest export contract. Also at that time, the China National Offshore Oil Corporation acquired an interest in the North West Shelf Venture’s reserves.

In 2009 the North West Shelf Venture celebrated 25 years of domestic gas production in Western Australia and 20 years of LNG exports.