BW Offshore has announced that the BW Opal floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit has completed the interim performance test (IPT), a key part of the Barossa LNG project’s commissioning programme.
Barossa LNG is a Santos-operated project located offshore northern Australia.
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The IPT confirmed that the main production, processing and utility systems on the FPSO are functioning together and are stable under production conditions.
Gas production and exports have continued from the BW Opal since operations restarted in early May 2026.
During this stage of commissioning and ramp-up, the company is coordinating production activities closely with Santos.
BW Offshore said it remains focused on ensuring safety and stability as the commissioning progresses towards practical completion.
Achieving practical completion will trigger the start of the long-term firm contract period for the BW Opal.
In 2021, BW Offshore signed a 15-year lease and operate contract with Santos for the supply of an FPSO for the Barossa gas field.
The contract is valued at $4.6bn for the initial period, with options to extend by up to ten years.
Under the terms, BW Offshore has been responsible for all aspects of the FPSO including engineering, procurement, construction, installation and ongoing operations.
Located roughly 300km offshore from Darwin, the Barossa gas field uses the BW Opal to process output from six subsea production wells with in-field facilities.
Gas will be sent via pipeline to the Bayu-Undan-to-Darwin pipeline system, which supplies the Darwin LNG plant.
The BW Opal, with an overall length of 358m and a width of 64m, is among the largest FPSO hulls built.
It is designed to handle 850 million standard cubic feet per day (mscf/d) of gas and up to 11,000 barrels per day of stabilised condensate.
The unit features a turret mooring system and a hull based on BW Offshore’s RapidFramework design, supporting topsides weighing approximately 35,000t.
After its hull was built in South Korea, the BW Opal arrived at a yard in Singapore in November 2023.
In May 2024, construction progressed with the lifting of the final module, marking a significant step in the build process.
The Barossa gas project is jointly owned by Santos, which holds a 50% stake, PRISM Energy International Australia with 37.5% and JERA Australia with the remaining 12.5%.
In January 2026, Santos announced the loading and dispatch of the first LNG cargo from the Barossa project to Japan’s Sakai terminal.
