Santos has temporarily shut down its Darwin LNG plant for equipment replacement on its floating production vessel in the Barossa gas field, it has been reported.

The Australian Financial Review reported that an email from Santos to stakeholders said the plant was to shut down from Tuesday and that it could take “a number of weeks” for it to begin operating again.

“We are in the final stages of commissioning for Barossa LNG to flush the system before coming back on and getting back to full rates,” the email said.

Media reports said the shutdown was linked to equipment replacement work on the BW Opal floating ​production, storage and offloading vessel in the offshore Barossa gas field.

Santos has a 50 per cent stake in the Barossa project with south Korea’s SK E&S holding 37.5 per cent, and Japan’s JERA holding with 12.5 per cent.

The company only began gas exports from the field in late January.

LNG exports to Europe and Asia from Qatar have been disrupted because of Israel and the United States of America’s attacks on Iran.