North Rankin/Perseus

Location

The North Rankin/Perseus Gas Complex is situated in Commonwealth waters approximately 135 km northwest of Dampier on the north-west coast of Western Australia. It operates in a water depth of about 125 meters within the Carnarvon Basin.

Project Components

The complex consists of two main platforms:

• North Rankin A (NRA): This platform has been in operation since 1984 and combines drilling, production, utilities, and accommodation facilities. It stands in 125 meters of water and has a total height of 215 meters, supported by a conventional eight-leg steel jacket.
• North Rankin B (NRB): This platform was installed as part of the North Rankin Redevelopment Project and became operational in 2013. It is linked to the NRA platform via a 100-meter bridge and is designed to access additional recoverable reserves of low-pressure gas from the North Rankin and Perseus fields.

Fields and Reserves

The complex produces gas and condensate from the following fields:

• North Rankin Field: Discovered in 1971, this field has 22 production wells.
• Perseus Field: Discovered in 1996, this field has seven production wells.
• Persephone Field: This field is connected to the North Rankin Complex via a two-well subsea tieback, which started operations in August 2017.

Production and Capacity

The North Rankin Complex produces dry gas and condensate, which are processed on the facility and then transported via two trunklines (1TL and 2TL) to the onshore Karratha Gas Plant for further processing. The facility has a daily production capacity of up to 66 kilotonnes (kT) of gas and 6 kT of condensate.

Operators and Partners

The North Rankin Complex is operated by Woodside Energy on behalf of the North West Shelf Project participants, which include:

• Woodside Energy Ltd.
• BHP Billiton Petroleum (North West Shelf) Pty Ltd
• BP Developments Australia Pty Ltd
• Chevron Australia Pty Ltd
• Japan Australia LNG (MIMI) Pty Ltd
• Shell Development (Australia) Pty Ltd Each partner holds a 16.67% stake in the project.

Infrastructure and Facilities

The complex includes:

• Two interconnected production platforms (NRA and NRB)
• Associated subsea infrastructure
• Two gas/condensate export trunklines (1TL and 2TL) connecting the facility to the Karratha Gas Plant
• Additional facilities such as gas-condensate coolers, separators, and three 27,000kW compression trains.

History and Development

• 1971: North Rankin gas field discovered.
• 1984: First gas production from the North Rankin field.
• 1996: Perseus gas field discovered.
• 2008: North Rankin Redevelopment Project launched to extend the life of the North Rankin and Perseus fields.
• 2013: North Rankin B platform became operational, and the redevelopment project started production.
• 2014: Final Investment Decision (FID) for the Persephone project.
• 2017: Persephone project started operations.

Redevelopment and Expansion

The North Rankin Redevelopment Project, valued at $5 billion, aimed to extend the life of the North Rankin and Perseus fields by retrieving remaining low-pressure gas. This involved the construction and installation of the North Rankin B platform, modification of existing facilities, and the addition of new compression trains and other infrastructure to ensure continued gas supply until around 2040.

Environmental and Regulatory Compliance

The operations of the North Rankin Complex are governed by Environment Plans accepted by the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA). These plans are revised at least every five years to incorporate changes and ensure compliance with Commonwealth Environmental Regulations.