Woodside's Pluto LNG project is set to become one of the fastest developed LNG projects from discovery of the gas field in 2005 to first LNG in 2011.

A significant milestone for the Pluto LNG Project was achieved on Sunday, 6 March 2011 as gas from the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline was introduced to the Pluto onshore plant.

'Gas in', as the process is known, marks the change in status of the Pluto LNG Park from a construction site to a 'live' site.

The pipeline gas allows the plant's four 40 megawatt gas turbine generators to be fired up for the first time. The generators, which can generate enough energy to power about 8,000 households, will provide electrical power to test the communications and production equipment in preparation for a safe start up in August 2011.

From next month, the pipeline gas will also be used to pressurise some 240 km of offshore pipelines out to the Pluto gas field before the production wells can be opened up to start production.

Approved for development in July 2007, the foundation project will process gas from the Pluto and Xena gas fields, located in the Carnarvon Basin about 190 km north-west of Karratha, Western Australia.

The Pluto LNG Project is underpinned by 15-year sales agreements with Kansai Electric and Tokyo Gas. Both companies became project participants in January 2008, each acquiring a 5% interest in the foundation project.

Tags: Woodside Energy Ltd.