Australian LNG player Woodside has entered into a binding deal with Japan’s power firm and LNG trader Jera to sell a 15.1 percent non-operating interest in the Scarborough JV for about $1.4 billion.
In November 2021, Woodside took a final investment decision on the Scarborough and Pluto LNG Train 2 developments worth about $12 billion.
Pluto Train 2 will get gas from the Scarborough gas field, located about 375 km off the coast of Western Australia, through a new trunkline long about 430 km.
Woodside said in a statement that the new stake deal with Jera comprises the purchase price of about $740 million, and reimbursement to Woodside for Jera’s share of expenditure incurred from the transaction effective date of January 1, 2022.
The transaction also includes an option for Jera to acquire a 15.1 percent non-operating participating interest in the Thebe and Jupiter fields as well as a non-binding deal that outlines a long-term collaboration to pursue opportunities for additional feed gas and joint investment in offshore gas fields for future tieback to the Pluto LNG facility via Scarborough infrastructure.
Also, the two firms signed a non-binding agreement under which Woodside will provide carbon management services to assist Jera to meet its obligations associated with its share of carbon emissions from the Scarborough JV.
Woodside and Jera also entered into a non-binding agreement for new energy collaboration including potential opportunities in ammonia, hydrogen, carbon management technology and carbon capture and storage.
Completion of the Scarborough equity transaction remians subject to conditions precedent including government approvals and satisfaction of requisite financing approvals.
Woodside said it expects to complete the transaction in the second half of 2024.
Following completion of the sale of equity to Jera, Woodside will hold a 74.9 percent interest in the Scarborough JV and remain as operator.
LNG supply deal
The annual LNG production expected from the project is about 8 mtpa at its peak rate.
Jera said in a separate statement it will offtake an equity share of about 1.2 mtpa of LNG cargoes and the first cargo is targeted for 2026.
Besides this, Woodside and Jera have also entered into a non-binding heads of agreement for the sale and purchase of LNG.
Under this deal, Woodside said it will supply six LNG cargoes (0.4 mtpa of LNG) from its global portfolio on a delivered ex-ship basis per year for 10 years starting in 2026.
Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill welcomed the broadened strategic relationship with Jera.
“Woodside welcomes Japan’s largest utility, Jera, into the Scarborough JV. This builds on a long history of collaboration, starting in 1989 with LNG sales from the North West Shelf to Jera’s parent companies Tokyo Electric and Chubu Electric,” she said.
O’Neill said Jera’s participation in the Scarborough JV, which will also include LNG Japan, is a
“further demonstration of the importance of the project to Japanese customers and confidence in long-term demand.”