Chevron assures investors Gorgon on track

Chevron has told investors Gorgon is on track and will start production in the middle of 2015.

"We want to reiterate the project is on track and we are on target for a mid-2015 start up,’’ CFO Pat Yarrington told investors.

Ms Yarrington said 20 of the 21 “critical process modules” for the first of two trains (production facilities) were in place, along with common facilities at Gorgon’s Barrow Island base.
“The remaining train will arrive shortly and it really becomes a process of hooking up and commissioning,’’ Ms Yarrington said.

DeepOcean wins Gorgon gas project trenching contract

DeepOcean UK has been awarded a trenching contract by Subsea 7 to carry out work on the Chevron-operated Gorgon gas project in Australia.

DeepOcean will be responsible for the project management, engineering and associated trenching works of approximately 70km of main umbilical for the Gorgon and Jansz-Io field developments.

Crackdown on foreign workers at Gorgon gas project

The Federal Government has moved to close a loophole allowing cheaper foreign workers on Chevron's $43 billion Gorgon project, cheering the union movement but sparking fresh concerns about rising costs on Australia's major resource projects.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said yesterday it would seek to change the Migration Act's application to offshore resource industry workers in light of its defeat in the so-called Allseas case.
Swiss-based offshore pipe-laying contractor Allseas became an IR lightning rod last year when it successfully used Tampa-era migration laws designed to stop boat people to see off a Federal Court challenge by the Gillard Government.

Federal Court Justice Neil McKerracher said at the time he was satisfied the ships operated by Allseas were not "resources installations" as defined in the Migration Act, in a case that spun on whether pipes laid by Allseas touched the seabed, and thus whether crew should be employed under Australian awards.

Allseas has since won further work on Chevron's $29 billion Wheatstone venture, prompting unions to demand changes to laws. The Government decided against appealing against the case and Mr Bowen said he was trying to strike a balance.

Svitzer wins 20-year Gorgon contract

Chevron Australia, which has the majority share in the Gorgon joint venture, has awarded tug operator Svitzer a 20-year contract on the Gorgon Gas Project.

Svitzer will supply four 33m, 80-tonne bollard-pull Azimuthing Stern Drive (ASD) tugs for the project which will begin in 2014.

Gorgon gas project to help Australia be global no. 2 LNG supplier by 2015

Australia is on course to be the second largest LNG supplier in the world by 2015. Projects such as the Gorgon gas project and Wheatstone gas project should help Australia close in on the number 2 position by the middle of the decade.

"So far in 2011, final investment decisions were reached for four Australian LNG projects," Tania Constable, head of the resources division of the Department of Resources, Energy & Tourism said.

It is believed that Australia could even overtake Qatar as the number 1 LNG supplier in the world by 2020.

Rosen Group wins Gorgon Gas Project contract

Rosen Group was recently awarded four major baseline pipeline inspection contracts for the Gorgon Gas Project on Barrow Island in Western Australia. The contracts are worth approximately $US9 million. Rosen has nearly 15 years of Western Australian experience.

Chevron looking to expand Gorgon gas project

Chevron is aiming to approve an expansion of the Gorgon gas project within 2 years. The news was released by Chevron's vice president of technology and services, Jim Blackwell, at a briefing for analysts in New York. More that $US25 billion worth of contracts have been awarded so far at the Gorgon gas project.

Gorgon contract won by ICON Engineering

A contract to build a Compensated Tension Lift Frame (CTLF) for use on the Gorgon gas project has been won by ICON Engineering.
The unit will be assembled in Perth and many of the componenents will be sourced from Australian suppliers.
The contract is worth $5.5 million.

Gorgon distributing $9 billion of work to Australian firms

The Gorgon gas project has delivered around $9 billion in work to Australian firms so far. Most of the work has been given to WA companies. There are currently around 85 boats and ships around Barrow Island involved with the construction of the Gorgon gas project.

PM praises Gorgon carbon project

The prime minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, visited the Gorgon gas project site last Saturday to praise the environmental credentials of the operation. The Gorgon gas project features the world's biggest carbon capture and storage program. At its annual meeting last week, the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum recognised the Gorgon gas project for its leadership in carbon capture and storage.

Gorgon accommodation ship damaged

The ship used to accommodate workers at the Gorgon gas project site has been damaged. As previously reported by gorgongasproject.com, the cruise liner MS Finnmarken was brought to Barrow Island to house construction workers on the Gorgon site. It is believed the ship pulled away from its mooring at the Gorgon site and continued to sail to Dampier despite damage to its hull. The Western Australian government is now investigating the incident as it may have put the lives of some of the 270 workers on board at risk.

Monadelphous wins Gorgon contract

Monadelphous has won an $85 million contract for the installation of onshore pipelines, cables and tubes at the Gorgon gas project. Managing director of Monadelphous, Rob Velletri, said "This contract supports our objective of sustainable long term growth through expansion of our services with quality customers such as Chevron".

Fairstar wins Gorgon contracts

Two transportation contracts for the Gorgon gas project have been awarded to Fairstar Heavy Transport. Under the terms of the agreements, Fairstar will provide its two semi-submersible heavy transport vessels for the transportation of modules and related project materials from various construction sites to to Gorgon gas project site on Barrow Island.

Gorgon contract won by Kencana

Kencana of Malaysia has won a $51.7 million contract for fabrication work in the Gorgon gas project. As part of the contract the company will supply pre-assembled racks for the fabrication of the marine and jetty structures at the Gorgon project site.

Nearly 3,000 jobs created at Gorgon

The Gorgon gas project has generated almost 3,000 jobs so far according to Chevron. The company currently emplyos 1,800 people in Australia but is due to hire a further 700 people this year. Gorgon and other gas projects in Australia are the centrepiece of Chevron's growth strategy.

Aker Solutions wins Gorgon contract

Norwegian company Aker Solutions has won a $100 million contract to supply subsea umbilicals to the Gorgon gas project.
Around 264km of steel tube umbilicals will be supplied to Gorgon in order to connect the subsea production system to a liquified natural gas plant.
The umbilicals will be manufactured in Moss, Norway.

Deputy Prime Minister to visit Gorgon project site

Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard is expected to visit the site of the Gorgon gas project today.
Gillard was in Perth yesterday to announce a training fund.

Gorgon to push resources salaries higher in WA

Resources salaries are expected to start rising soon as projects such as Gorgon ramp up. Salaries have been flat recently, but the increase in business activity should increase salaries within the next few months. This year has brought renewed confidence to the resources sector in Western Australia.

General Electric awarded Gorgon LNG contract

General Electric (GE) has been awarded a number of contracts on the Gorgon gas project in Western Australia.
The value of the contracts is more than $1.2 billion Australian dollars.
The contracts were awarded by Chevron and include the supply of 5 turbines to produce power for the project. A number of jobs will be created as a result.

Unions quick to defend Gorgon job salaries

West Australian Construction union boss Kevin Reynolds has defended the Gorgon pay deal saying workers deserved compensation for the isolated lifestyle. He said "They are locked away on this prison island", referring to the remote location of Barrow Island. The pay deal will see tradesmen paid up to $160,000 a year, with labourers being paid up to $150,000 a year.