The troubled $6 billion flagship will be out of action "for a number of weeks," just as Santos' customers are desperate for gas to replace supply from the Middle East.
The shutdown of the Yara Pilbara plant comes as a quarter of global trade in ammonia, used for urea fertiliser and mining explosives, is blocked by war.
Woodside's sprawling Karratha gas plant in WA's north is shut down after Cyclone Narelle passed by on Thursday, according to multiple industry sources not authorised to speak to the media.
Boiling Cold understands thatthe North West Shelf (NWS) project's four liquefied natural gas (LNG) trains, gas turbine power generators and the domestic gas plant are all down.
The outage at Australia's oldest liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant comes a week after the nation's newest - Santos' Barossa - unexpectedly shut down for several weeks.
Both unplanned shutdowns come while gas-dependent nations scramble for LNG to replace the supply blocked behind the Strait of Hormuz.
Australia's gas customers were looking for more of the vital fuel, but may instead get less than they had expected.
The flow of gas from the NWS into the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline (DBNGP), which supplies the south west of the state, has ceased.
The pipeline acts as a significant store of gas, preventing any immediate effect on supply. Any concern about WA having sufficient gas would be eased by the recent unplanned shutdown of Yara's ammonia plant, which will free up gas for other users.
Boiling Cold asked Woodside about the state of its facilities in WA's north and when production is likely to recommence.
A Woodside spokesperson said the company is monitoring the progress of Cyclone Narelle.
"Our priority is the safety of our people, the environment and our assets," she said,
"Our offshore workforce has been safely demobilised in line with our cyclone preparation arrangements,
Karratha was on the edge of an area classified as having destructive winds. Image: BOM
"If there is any material impact to production or assets, Woodside will update the market in accordance with its continuous disclosure obligations."
She said Woodside was continuing to supply domestic gas to its customers from its WA assets.
Woodside operates the North West Shelf project and owns one-third of it. It also operates and owns most of the Pluto gas export project that supplies a small amount of gas to WA, and wholly owns the Macedon domestic gas plant.
UPDATES
Cyclone tracking map added
Woodside domestic gas comments and WA portfolio added.
CORRECTION
Removed reference to the onshore plant being without power. It is likely that ther es back up oer for lighting, etc.
I worked in oil & gas in commercial and engineering roles for 20 years. Since 2016, I have written for The West Australian, WAtoday, The Guardian and Boiling Cold, winning five WA Media Awards.
The troubled $6 billion flagship will be out of action "for a number of weeks," just as Santos' customers are desperate for gas to replace supply from the Middle East.
The shutdown of the Yara Pilbara plant comes as a quarter of global trade in ammonia, used for urea fertiliser and mining explosives, is blocked by war.
Santos' decommissioning liability matches a quarter of its $22b value, but its disclosures to investors fared poorly against the latest accounting standards, according to an international survey.
Peter Milne
Peter Milne
