Woodside has completed the 433km trunkline installation for the Scarborough Energy project, which is located 375km off the Pilbara coast of Western Australia (WA).

The installation of trunkline, which took approximately 12 months to complete, is a pivotal component for transporting gas from the Scarborough field in the Carnarvon Basin to the onshore Pluto LNG facility in Karratha.

Woodside Australia executive vice-president & chief operating officer Liz Westcott said: “The trunkline was a critical piece of infrastructure for the Scarborough Energy Project, requiring installation by specialised vessels and expert teams.

“The completion of installation is a significant accomplishment, reflecting the dedication of all involved in achieving this project milestone.

“With the last components of the trunkline in place, the focus will be maintained on safely executing the remaining project scopes to support the targeted first Scarborough LNG cargo in 2026”.

The Scarborough Energy project includes installation of a semi-submersible floating production unit (FPU) and the drilling of eight wells in its initial phase.

The project is partially complete and aims to meet global demand for cleaner and reliable energy. It is expected to deliver up to 225 terajoules per day of domestic gas to the WA market.

The project is expected to generate more than A$50bn ($33.6bn) in direct and indirect taxes for Australia, create more than 3,000 jobs during construction and sustain almost 600 jobs on average during its operational phase.

In funding efforts, Woodside secured a $1bn loan from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation.

The company faced legal challenges from the Australian Conservation Foundation over environmental approvals, resulting in a two-year legal dispute that was resolved in August 2024.