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    Cooper, APA Plan 2nd Shutdown at Oz Orbost Plant

Summary

The rates achieved are yet to meet the rate required by the plant production test.

by: Shardul Sharma

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Cooper, APA Plan 2nd Shutdown at Oz Orbost Plant

Sydney-listed Cooper Energy June 19 said gas infrastructure company APA Group has planned a second shutdown of the Orbost gas processing plant as the rates achieved are yet to meet the 68 terajoules/day (64mn ft3/day) required by the plant production test. The maximum production rate recorded to date has been 55 terajoules/day on June 9.

“APA has advised of a re-occurrence of fouling due to prolonged foaming in the second absorber which will require a second shutdown for cleaning of the absorber vessel. APA has advised a second antifoam dosing pump has been installed since the previous shutdown to improve performance,” Cooper said. 

The second shutdown is scheduled to start on the weekend of June 20-21 and requires approximately six days to complete, the company said. The plant went in for the first shutdown in May this year. Plant performance during commissioning has been impaired by foaming in the absorber section of the plant, which has suppressed output rates; and by fouling.

APA has advised further shutdowns may be required and this will be assessed in the light of commissioning results, Cooper said. APA has also said it has initiated planning for plant modifications in case current commissioning does not achieve the required performance rate. The modifications include re-configuration of the plant’s two absorber vessels from a serial to a parallel arrangement.

“If the modifications are required, a further plant shutdown will be necessary, which Cooper Energy has been advised could require three weeks. This interruption would be accommodated, to the fullest extent possible, within the maintenance downtime allowance provided in the processing and sales contract agreements,” Cooper said.

Commissioning of the plant’s raw gas processing facilities started on March 10 and a total of 1.8 petajoules of gas from Sole has been processed and supplied into the Eastern Gas Pipeline up to 18 June 2020, Cooper said. This gas is being sold by Cooper Energy at spot market prices less transportation.

The gas plant, which is owned and operated by APA, is being commissioned to process gas from Cooper’s Sole gas field offshore Victoria for supply to customers in south-east Australia. Completion of plant commissioning will enable the start of the field’s term supply contracts and processing tariff payments by Cooper to APA.