The Methane Spirit vessel carrying natural gas to Asian markets departed Curtis Island over the weekend.
APLNG Chief Executive Page Maxson said the departure of the LNG vessel marks over four years of planning and construction since the final investment decision was made.
“This achievement is testament to an extraordinary amount of work completed by co-venturers Origin Energy, ConocoPhillips and Sinopec, a multitude of key contractors, including Bechtel, and a 15,000-strong workforce,”? Mr Maxson said.
“With our domestic customer portfolio, the start of Train 1 and the first export of LNG, Australia Pacific LNG has become the largest producer of natural gas in Eastern Australia,”? he added.
Mr Maxson expected APLNG to reach full production from two LNG trains by the end of 2016, reflecting its 2P reserves position.
“We are delighted to be part of the establishment of the CSG-LNG industry in Queensland, one that will continue for many decades and provide economic opportunities across the state,”? he said.
APPEA Chief Executive Dr Malcolm Roberts said the first shipment by APLNG marks Australia’s arrival as an LNG global superpower, on track to become the world’s biggest exporter of the cleaner energy source in 2018.
“Australian Pacific LNG are to be congratulated on completing a world-class facility that will make a mighty contribution to Queensland’s economy for decades to come,”? Dr Roberts said.
“The visionary infrastructure project, which created 15,000 jobs at its peak, is the third completed in Queensland in 12 months to meet Asia’s growing demand for clean and reliable energy.”?
Dr Roberts said the growth dividend for Queensland is huge and long-term.
“Over the next four years alone as LNG exports ramp up, an estimated $1.2 billion will flow in royalty payments for spending on public services like schools and hospitals.”?
At full capacity, APLNG’s two-train LNG production facility will supply 9 MMt/a of LNG to export markets by cooling the natural gas to -161 Celsius until it becomes a liquid, enabling its transportation to export customers in Asia.
In 2014-15, Australia shipped 25 MMt of LNG cargoes, earning $16.9 billion in export revenue. By 2019-20, when all seven LNG projects developed in recent years are fully operational, there will be a projected combined export volume of just over 76 MMt.