A central element of the upstream facilities is a large semi-submersible FPU that has now arrived at the Scarborough field, located about 375 km off the coast of Karratha in Western Australia. The unit was towed from China for a voyage of over 4,000 nm before entering Australian waters and taking up position at the field, an event Woodside has described as a key step for the project.
Woodside Acting CEO Liz Westcott said the safe arrival of the Scarborough FPU in the field early in 2026 is an important way to begin the year, noting that overall project completion has passed 91%. She said the unit’s delivery underlines collaboration between Woodside, main contractor McDermott and their subcontractors, and their shared focus on safe project delivery.
Australia’s Scarborough gas project in the Carnarvon Basin, valued at around $12.5 billion, is moving further toward start-up as offshore and onshore facilities advance in tandem. The development involves new offshore infrastructure linked by an approximately 433 km pipeline to a second LNG train at the existing onshore Pluto LNG plant. Offshore work includes installation of a floating production unit (FPU) and an initial drilling program of eight wells, increasing to a total of 13 wells over the field’s producing life.
With an approximate displacement of 70,000 t, the semi-submersible production unit will process gas directly at Scarborough and acts as the centrepiece of the joint venture’s offshore development. The unit, regarded as one of the biggest semi-submersible production facilities built so far, is equipped with emissions-reduction systems and is configured to treat and compress gas for export through the trunkline. Its design also allows for additional subsea tie-ins to support the future development of nearby fields.
Westcott recalled that early in 2025 the hull and topsides of the FPU were still being built in different shipyards. Since then, the structures have been integrated into a single unit, brought into Australian waters and moved onto location, where work to secure the mooring system is under way. With the FPU now on station, the project team is concentrating on hook-up and commissioning in preparation for production, with first LNG cargo still targeted for the latter half of this year.
