ConocoPhillips sees APLNG hitting full tilt in Q2 2017

MELBOURNE, Oct 28 (Reuters) - ConocoPhillips, operator of the Australia Pacific liquefied natural gas (APLNG) plant, said it expects the project to reach its full capacity of 9 million tonnes a year in the June quarter of 2017.

APLNG started shipping from the second of its two production units earlier this month, and is now focused on ramping up coal seam gas supplies, operated by its Australian partner Origin Energy, into the plant.

"I expect it will be some time in the second quarter before we have enough gas supply from the upstream side to be able to run both trains at full tilt," ConocoPhillips' head of production, drilling and projects Al Hirshberg said on a quarterly conference call on Thursday.

APLNG has shipped more than 50 cargoes this year, he said.

Origin has said it expects to start reaping benefits from its investment in the A$26 billion ($20 billion) APLNG project in the year to June 2018.

APLNG, co-owned by ConocoPhillips, Origin Energy and China's Sinopec, is the largest of three coal seam gas-to-LNG projects to have opened on Curtis Island off Australia's east coast over the past two years.

($1 = 1.3182 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Sonali Paul; Editing by Richard Pullin)