Australian independent Beach Energy has achieved first gas at its Waitsia plant in Western Australia.
Beach Energy said it has delivered the first sales gas into the pipeline network, marking the first gas export milestone for the project.
The Waitsia gas project is a joint venture between Mitsui E&P Australia, which operates the project, and Beach Energy.
In November, Beach announced that Waitsia had reached the ready for start-up milestone, as the plant transitioned from project construction and commissioning activities to production operations.
The company said at the time that the gas plant would have a capacity of 250 terajoules of gas per day.
Beach Energy said certification procedures and processes have been completed, which enabled export of sales gas into the pipeline network.
Following the achievement of first gas, the facility is now completing the planned emergency power restart test procedures before commencing the production ramp-up.
The Waitsia gas field is ranked as one of the largest gas fields ever discovered onshore in Australia.
The Waitsia gas project will provide a reliable supply of domestic gas to Western Australia and liquified natural gas to international markets.
Peter Bennett, CEO of Clough, which delivered the engineering and construction for the Waitsia gas project, said the first gas milestone reflects the expertise of the team and its partners.
“We are proud to have played a key role in delivering this critical infrastructure for Western Australia and the global energy market,” he said.
