From Australia (RW): The GDF Suez-operated Bonaparte (SEN, 30/5) floating LNG (FLNG) project has missed another of its deadlines set earlier in the development planning.

When the Timor Sea FLNG project received Australian government environmental approval in 2012, GDF Suez said that FEED studies would begin in 2013. In September last year, GDF Suez advised that FEED would start during first-quarter 2014. That date is now ‘in 2014’. No reason has been given for the delay, but the project remains in pre-FEED phase at the moment.

Bonaparte FLNG general manager Jean- Francois Letellier said the final investment decision is still scheduled for 2015 enabling the project to be brought onstream in 2019.

Previously GDF Suez has said that the FEED contract is a contest between the KBR/Hyundai Heavy Industries consortium and a group made up of Technip and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering.

Wood Group Kenny won the pre-FEED subsea concept definition study. Tenders for geotechnical and geophysical site investigation closed this month.

The Bonaparte FLNG project will be supplied with gas from the Petrel-Tern-Frigate fields that lie in the central Bonaparte Gulf straddling the offshore boundary between Western Australia and the Northern Territory about 250 km west of Darwin.

The FLNG proposal is for a vessel 400 m long and 70 m wide capable of producing 2.4 mt/a of LNG.

GDF Suez has 60% interest in the project with Santos holding the balance.