Following the award of an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract in January of this year, Clough has now turned the first sod to signal the beginning of construction on the Waitsia Gas Project Stage 2 in Western Australia.
“Clough and the Waitsia Joint Venture have been working together in the lead up to construction to enhance the design of the Waitsia Gas Project Stage 2 and it is exciting to see the meticulous planning for optimal plant operability, capital costs and sustainable operations now being executed,” Clough CEO and Managing Director Peter Bennett said.
“We are proud to see the commencement of this iconic project, with earthworks now underway. Today’s sod turning is an important milestone towards the development of a world-class onshore gas resource,” Clough Executive Vice President Australia and Asia Pacific John Galvin said.
The bulk earthworks contract was awarded to a local Mid West Indigenous business, Garla Barna Civil & Mining (GBCM), as part of Clough’s commitment to creating local opportunities during the delivery of this project.
The Waitsia Gas Project is being developed by the Waitsia Joint Venture, which is comprised of Mitsui E&P Australia and Beach Energy.
The project is located in the northern Perth Basin near the town of Dongara, about 350 kilometres north of Perth and 65 kilometres south of Geraldton.
Stage 2 of the Waitsia Gas Project will include the construction of a new 250 terrajoules a day (TJ/day) gas processing plant that has a 20-year lifecycle. The facility will be conveying gas via the nearby Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline.
The production wells are going to be connected to the processing plant through a network of flowlines and gathering hubs, and a new export pipeline will link to the export pipeline installed during the Stage 1 Expansion of the Waitsia Gas Project.
The Waitsia Gas Project Stage 2 is expected to create up to 200 jobs during the construction phase and about 25 permanent jobs once the processing plant is operational.
This project is also estimated to inject up to $15 million into the region, providing significant economic benefits to the Mid West and to Western Australia as a whole.
Source: Clough (1, 2); Mitsui E&P Australia