Woodside Restarts Scarborough LNG Operations After Greenpeace Protest

The protesters now face charges of interfering with offshore petroleum installations, a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Following their removal, Woodside confirmed that commissioning work resumed Monday. While the project is currently 98% complete, the company indicated that the weekend disruption may threaten their goal of shipping the first LNG cargo by the end of the year.

The Scarborough development represents a significant expansion of Australia's export capacity, designed to produce 8 million tons of liquefied natural gas annually alongside domestic gas supplies. The infrastructure includes a floating production unit and the construction of Pluto Train 2, which will process the majority of the field's output. Woodside remains under pressure to maintain its timeline for the fourth-quarter startup, despite the security breach exposing the vulnerability of the remote infrastructure.