Santos Targets April Restart of Barossa Offshore Gas Project Following Commissioning Maintenance

Santos has set an approximate restart date of April 18, 2026, for full production resumption at its Barossa offshore gas project following a temporary operational halt at the Darwin LNG facility. The production pause stemmed from commissioning challenges on the FPSO BW Opal, which achieved first gas in September 2025. According to Santos, the company has completed essential maintenance work to bring the floating production, storage, and offloading unit to full operating capacity. "Dry gas seals on the FPSO compressors have been replaced to allow production at full capacity, and heat exchangers are now being flushed and cleaned to remove blockages," the company disclosed. ## Project Background and Scale The Barossa gas field, located approximately 285 kilometers offshore from Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory, represents one of Australia's most significant offshore energy infrastructure projects. Santos received final investment decision approval for the development in March 2021. The FPSO BW Opal is designed to supply the Darwin LNG plant for an anticipated operational life of around two decades, providing critical energy supply infrastructure for the region. ## Recent Production Activity Despite the constrained production phase resulting from the technical challenges, Santos successfully sold three LNG cargoes during the first quarter of 2026, demonstrating continued market demand for the project's output. The resumption to full production capacity would allow the facility to operate at its design specifications and increase export volumes to global markets. The restart timeline comes as the oil and gas sector navigates ongoing operational demands in Australia's offshore environment, where maintaining critical infrastructure reliability remains essential for energy security and economic output.