Australian Gas Project Enters Home Stretch as Developments in Mexico and US Gulf Make New Inroads

October 21, 2026 · 9 hours ago

Woodside’s Scarborough, Trion, and Louisiana LNG projects have hit new milestones, with the finish line in sight for the first one.

While navigating complex supply chains to deliver its projects in line with established timelines, Australia’s energy giant Woodside has advanced three major projects spanning the waters offshore Western Australia, where the almost complete Scarborough mega-project is rushing toward its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipment, along with deepwater milestones in Mexico and resilient construction in the U.S. Gulf.

Woodside has provided updates on the progress made in developing three projects, including Scarborough offshore Australia, Trion in Mexican waters, and Louisiana LNG in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America).

The Scarborough and Pluto Train 2 projects remain on budget and were 99% complete at the end of the third quarter of 2026, excluding Pluto Train 1 modifications. The floating production unit (FPU) and subsea production system commissioning and start-up activities continued, including well clean-up and export of gas to pressurise the trunkline.

The operator emphasizes that well clean-up results are in line with reservoir and well performance expectations. The company completed all mechanical runs of Pluto Train 2 compressors, and, subsequent to the period, Scarborough gas was introduced to the warm end (gas pre-treatment) of the LNG train.

Activities in the cold end continue to progress, which will enable the start of gas liquefaction. Following the Pluto Train 1 planned major maintenance campaign in Q2, modifications to Pluto Train 1, which will allow processing of Scarborough gas, continued. The final module arrived on-site with activities focused on module hook-up and integration. The first LNG cargo is on track for Q4 2026.

Liz Westcott, Woodside’s CEO, commented: “Amid ongoing volatility in global energy markets, we have remained a reliable supplier to our customers. Increased quarterly operating revenue reflected increased production and strong realized prices.

“We delivered quarterly production of 46.2 million barrels of oil equivalent, up 12% from the previous quarter following the successful completion of the Pluto LNG turnaround in the second quarter and the NWS turnaround in the third quarter.”