Last month the company reported that the pipeline installation contractor had identified a through-wall thickness opening at one location in the line during acceptance pressure testing (hydrotest).
The contractor has since removed a damaged section of the line from the seafloor and concluded hydrotesting of the 65-km (40-mi) pipeline from the onshore Orbost Gas Plant to the Sole wells.
Testing was conducted over a 24-hr hold period, confirming the pipeline’s capability to retain the required pressure.
A full-scale permanent repair should follow by next April, subject to regulatory approvals. Cooper stressed that the project remains within budget and on schedule for first gas in July 2019.
