LNG

Clough, the Australian energy engineering company, said it achieved its first major concrete pour and first structural steel erection on site at the Waitsia 2 gas project being constructed for LNG production in the Perth Basin onshore Western Australia.

Clough won the engineering, procurement and construction work for the field near the town of Dongara, located about 350 kilometres (217 miles) north of the city of Perth and 65km south of the town of Geraldton.

Beach Energy of Australia and a subsidiary of Japan’s Mitsui and Co. each own 50 percent of the venture and Mitsui is the operator of the Waitsia field.

Beach and Mitsui have also finalized and signed key commercial agreements with shareholders of the North West Shelf LNG plant to enable LNG exports, with the State of Western Australia and the pipeline and project company, Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG).

Clough said the concrete pour at the site was a 14 cubic metres condensate storage slab and bund, which was followed later that same day by the first steel erection.

“This will form the main spine of the facility, a central 200-metre pipe track weighing over 100 tonnes,” Clough explained.

The start of full construction activities came a week after the first night of occupation at the recently completed temporary construction village.

“With bulk earthworks and piling now nearing completion, the project ramps up and hits its next phase of self-perform structural, mechanical and piping construction work,” said Clough.

The Waitsia gas field is ranked one of the largest gas fields ever discovered onshore in Australia and it is forecast to bring significant economic benefits to the Mid-West region from both construction and operating phases.

The Waitsia Stage 2 project includes a new gas processing plant with a 20-year life-cycle that will convey gas via the nearby Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline.

The Beach-Mitsui venture and Woodside Petroleum subsidiary, Woodside Burrup Pty Ltd, with gas from the Pluto gas fields, have become the inaugural third parties to sign binding commercial access agreements with the North West Shelf LNG partners.

The six NWS LNG partners are Australia’s Woodside and BHP, UK major BP, Chevron Corp., Royal Dutch Shell and a Japanese partnership comprising Mitsubishi Corp. and Waitsia gas shareholder Mitsui.

The Gas Processing Agreement and related agreements signed with the NWS LNG will enable up to 1.5 million tonnes of LNG per annum to be tolled and processed into LNG through the NWS facilities in Karratha between the second half of 2023 and the end of 2028.

Beach and Mitsui will each market their respective LNG equity interests independently of the NWS LNG plant partners.

Mitsui is already a long-standing LNG exporter while Beach will become an LNG player for the first time in the company’s 60-year history.

Australian engineering company Clough has awarded the bulk earthworks contract for the Waitsia Gas Project Stage Two development in the onshore northern Perth Basin to an Indigenous company.

The contract was awarded to Garla Barna Civil and Mining (GBCM), a local Mid-West business.

Clough is running the second stage of development of the Waitsia natural gas field in the Perth Basin as a future source of LNG exports.

Clough's main work sites are near the town of Dongara, located about 350 kilometres (217 miles) north of the city of Perth and 65km south of the town of Geraldton.

Beach Energy of Australia and a subsidiary of Japan’s Mitsui and Co. each own 50 percent of the venture and Mitsui is the operator of the Waitsia field.

Beach and Mitsui have also finalized and signed key commercial agreements with shareholders of the North West Shelf LNG plant to enable LNG exports.

“Clough and the Waitsia Joint Venture (Mitsui E&P Australia and Beach Energy) are committed to delivering a high performing project while providing opportunities to the local community at every stage of the project and this award demonstrates that,” said Peter Bennett, Clough Chief Executive.

“Our Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan drives our commitment to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples by providing employment, education and business opportunities,” he added.

John Galvin, Clough Executive Vice President Australia and Asia Pacific, said he was looking forward to starting work with GBCM, a local construction business that has demonstrated the capabilities needed to perform this scope of work.

GBCM was established in 2019 as an emerging regional-based Aboriginal services contractor offering project solutions in Western Australia.

GBCM's intent is to maximise opportunities for Aboriginal people in the construction industry, creating hope and career paths for future generations.

“GBCM are pleased that Clough have provided our company with this opportunity on a project that is being built on our traditional lands,” said Fred Taylor, GBCM Director and shareholder.

“We are excited to be working with Clough in the delivery of this scope and look forward to the engagement this project brings to the Mid-West and the Southern Yamatji people,” Taylor added.

Australian engineering and construction company, Clough, said it had won the contract to build the loadout line trestle off Kitimat in British Columbia for the Royal Dutch Shell-led LNG Canada project.

April 6 (LNGJ) - Australian LNG and energy engineering company Clough said it was collaborating with Charles Darwin University, based in the city of Darwin in the Northern Territory, on a research and study programme to improve maintenance engineering procedures and asset management. Clough Chief Executive and Managing Director Peter Bennett said: “This collaboration will bring us new opportunities to develop specialist maintenance expertise such as advanced Clough Automated Maintenance System (CAMS) modules to further automate maintenance planning that interfaces with predictive analytics.” Deputy University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Lawrence Cram, said: “There are mutual benefits to be derived from a working relationship where CDU staff not only provide professional and research support to Clough, but also gain valuable practical experience while working with Clough.”

Australian engineering company Clough said it won a major services contract from the nation's largest LNG operator, Woodside Energy, while continuing to build up its own North American business.