Although painfully short on details, there was an official announcement Wednesday by Australian energy giant Woodside Energy Ltd.’s U.S. unit in Los Angeles regarding its plans to apply to federal, state and local agencies to develop a proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) import project at an unspecified site along California’s coast.

First reported Tuesday (see Daily GPI, Jan. 18), Woodside Natural Gas Inc. said its LNG plans include asking for what it calls an “offshore sea-to-land pipeline” to bring regasified LNG to shore. Woodside has made more than 2,000 LNG cargo deliveries and later this year is supposed to bring China its first LNG import supplies.

Although there were no specific estimates given on costs or time frames, Woodside Natural Gas President Jane Cutler stressed her parent firm’s long track record producing and shipping LNG, mostly between Australia’s west coast and Japan.

“Woodside has proven supplies of gas and a proven record of safe delivery,” Cutler said in a prepared news announcement. “We intend to provide a reliable supply of natural gas to curb the spiraling rise in prices. California deserves affordable energy; we can help ensure that happens.”

Noting her company’s experience and expertise as one of Australia’s largest energy companies, Cutler said Woodside looks forward to “working with all regulators, policymakers, agencies and communities to develop a reliable project.”

Although there were no more details Wednesday, early reports on Woodside’s plans stressed the use of LNG regasification ships that would attach to subsea pipelines, in a way similar to what Excelerate Energy has done with its Louisiana Energy Bridge in the Gulf of Mexico. The project would use a specialize buoy that would connect the ships to a subsea pipeline that could then deliver the gas to the California pipeline grid. The design would have far less environmental impact than either an offshore gravity-based project or an onshore LNG import terminal and would have a lower development cost. However, it would require specialized ships, which would cost more and would limit its ability to access LNG on the world market.

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