Woodside Energy has connected its floating production unit (FPU) offshore Western Australia to onshore operations via fibre optic cable, marking a key milestone for the Scarborough Energy Project as it targets first LNG cargo later this year.
The FPU, located 375 km off the coast of Karratha, is now linked to Woodside’s Perth headquarters through a subsea fibre network designed to support remote operations and data transfer.
The system enables the transfer of large volumes of operational data, supporting equipment monitoring, applications and cyber systems, while also providing onboard connectivity services for crew.
“For most people, connecting the internet means plugging a box into a wall. That's effectively what we did, but it was a little bit more complicated than usual,” said Callum Janssan, Digital Delivery Specialist Capital Projects.
Installation of the fibre network began in 2023, with more than 1,000 km of cable laid across the seabed at depths of up to 5,000 metres, linking the Scarborough field to onshore cable landing stations.
“Without fibre, we don’t have remote operations. The volume of data we generate is too large for existing satellite technology to handle reliably,” added Janssan.
The final offshore connection was completed during the hook-up and commissioning phase this year, after delays caused by Tropical Cyclone Narelle required crews to temporarily demobilize.
The Scarborough Energy Project is now 96% complete and targeting first LNG in the fourth quarter of 2026.
The project is expected to supply gas to Western Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.