BW Opal achieves First gas
BW Offshore’s most technologically advanced floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit gears up for operations in Australia’s Barossa field.
This article is part of BW Groups corporate magazine, World Horizon. Download and read the full World Horizon H2 2025 edition here
On 20 September 2025, BW Offshore’s newest floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit, BW Opal, successfully achieved First Gas. This milestone came just days after the unit reached Ready For Start-Up (RFSU) on 16 September for the Santos-operated Barossa LNG project – triggering first payments under the long-term charter agreement. First Gas represents a critical juncture in the formal transition from the project phase to the operations phase, and shows BW Opal’s readiness to deliver stable energy production.
The next step, the Interim Performance Test (IPT), will increase the dayrate to 85%. The final milestone is Practical Completion (PC), which will conclude the delivery phase and trigger 100% of the dayrate. This will mark the commencement of the 15-year firm contract period, securing long-term revenues for BW Offshore.
Reaching First Gas on BW Opal is a tremendous achievement, and a testament to the hard work, dedication and collaboration of our teams, contractors and partners. It demonstrates our commitment to delivering complex projects safely and efficiently, while supporting energy security and value creation for our stakeholders.
Marco Beenen, CEO, BW Offshore
One of the world’s largest and most advanced FPSOs
BW Opal was launched on 15 February 2025 under a US$4.6 billion lease-and-operate contract with Santos. Its completion marks the culmination of BW Offshore’s most ambitious and complex FPSO newbuild – an undertaking that began in 2020. The vessel sets new benchmarks in innovation and sustainability with a 230MW combined-cycle power plant – the largest ever on an FPSO – cutting the release of CO₂ by 25%. This will save 2.5 million tons of emissions over its lifetime.
Unlocking energy for the future
In May, BW Opal departed Singapore for Australia. It is now deployed in the Barossa gas field, operated by Santos, 285km offshore from Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia. Designed to process 850 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD) of gas, and with a capacity of 11,000 barrels per day of stabilised condensate, BW Opal will play a central role in unlocking the resource potential of the Barossa field and feed the Darwin LNG plant for the next two decades.