A P R O J E C T U P D AT E
EDITION 5 | FEBRUARY 2015
The Gorgon Upstream scope includes the design and construction of wells and facilities to source gas from the
fields, transportation to the LNG plant on Barrow Island and delivery of domestic gas to the mainland. It also
includes the wells and facilities required for the Carbon Dioxide Injection Project.
Jansz-Io Field
Production
MEG
Utility
Scarp Crossing
Gorgon Field
Umbilical
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Ja
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Barrow Island
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Gorgon Completes Drilling Campaign
The Deepwater Frontier drill ship has completed the final
Jansz-Io well and demobilised from the Project.
General Manager Major Capital Projects Kevin Shannon said
it was a significant milestone with all 10 wells at the Jansz-Io
field and eight at the Gorgon field ready to produce.
“The Jansz-Io drilling campaign was completed with an
impressive safety record – more than 540 days incident and
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Chevron Australia
injury free,” Kevin said.
“This is a great accomplishment given the wells were drilled in
a water depth of 1,350m so the work required to connect the
rig to the seabed was particularly challenging.”
ExxonMobil, the Jansz-Io work operator, will officially
handover the wells to Chevron over the coming months.
Pre-commissioning Underway on Subsea Facilities
Pre-commissioning activities are
underway on the subsea facilities at the
Gorgon and Jansz-Io fields following the
installation of all 63 tie-in spools.
Upstream Facilities Project Manager
Milton Bruce said the spools were one
of the final components of the Project’s
subsea gas gathering system to be
installed, linking the wells and subsea
structures to the pipeline system.
“In simplistic terms, when all the
main structures that make up the gas
gathering system were installed we
measured the gaps between them
and fabricated spools to the specific
length required so we could connect the
system,” Milton said.
“With all spools installed and tied-in we
are now pressure testing the integrity of
the spool connections.”
BOTTOM LEFT The Deepwater Frontier drillship has
demobilised from the Project following the completion of
the Jansz-Io drilling campaign.
LEFT A vessel-based crane and spreader frame were
used to install 63 tie-in spools offshore.
ABOVE Remotely operated vehicles are assisting with
subsea pre-commissioning activities.
Upstream Fast Facts
Jansz-Io Pipeline Pre-commissioning in Full Swing
With all onshore and offshore pipelines
installed and tested, pre-commissioning
activities are well underway on the
Jansz-Io pipelines.
Gorgon Upstream Facilities Project
Manager Milton Bruce said a series of
activities are preparing the pipelines
and associated infrastructure for the
introduction of hydrocarbons.
“Pre-commissioning provides assurance
that our pipelines, structures and
associated infrastructure are in good
working condition,” Milton said.
“The process involves cleaning to
remove debris, gauging to check
internal walls, flooding and hydrotesting
to confirm the operating pressure and
finally dewatering and drying before
packing the pipelines with nitrogen
to preserve them prior to operations
commencing.
“We recently completed dewatering the
three Jansz-Io pipelines – production,
monoethylene glycol and utility – from
the inlet area to the main subsea
structure, located around 140km
offshore.
“Our focus over the next few months
is to dry and prepare the Jansz-Io
pipelines so they are ready to be packed
with nitrogen and handed over to our
Operations team. We will then turn our
attention to pre-commissioning the
Gorgon pipeline system.”
Gorgon’s first LNG Train will be startedup with Jansz-Io gas.
The Project’s subsea gas gathering
system is located on the ocean
floor over the Gorgon and Jansz-Io
gas fields.
The Jansz-Io field is located
approximately 130km northwest
of Barrow Island in 1,350m of
water. The Gorgon field is located
approximately 65km west of
Barrow Island in 200m of water.
Subsea trees will contain and
control the production wells at
both fields. The produced gas will
be gathered at several manifolds
installed at each field and
transported via pipelines to Barrow
Island.
Both field developments are
supported by a feed gas pipeline,
monoethylene glycol injection
pipeline, utility pipeline and fibre
optic, electro-hydraulic control
umbilicals – a total of six product
pipelines and two umbilical casings.
Find out more about the Gorgon Upstream scope at chevronaustralia.com
Gorgon – A Project Update
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3
The Downstream scope includes the design and construction of a three-train 15.6 million tonne per annum LNG
facility on Barrow Island and a domestic gas plant with the capacity to provide 300 terajoules of gas per day to
Western Australia. It also includes operations and accommodation facilities.
Domestic Gas Pipeline Ready to Import
Following the final connection at the jetty, the domestic gas pipeline is now connected from the mainland through to the plant site.
Gorgon Development Director Scott Young said pre-commissioning activities were also complete paving the way for gas to be
imported to start-up the first gas turbine generator (GTG).
“Starting up the first GTG will provide
the power to start commissioning the
various systems and facilities,” Scott
said.
Domestic Gas Pipeline Connection
In operations, Gorgon will have the
capacity to provide 300 terajoules of
gas per day to Western Australia.
LEFT The Gorgon domestic gas pipeline is
now connected end-to-end.
TOP RIGHT Kent Stewart (left) is presented
with the Safe Transport award by Hayden
Latchford. Image courtesy of Lloyds List
Australia.
BOTTOM RIGHT Members of the operations
team have begun commissioning and
monitoring plant systems.
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Safety Inspires Innovative Device
An innovative device which enables the
Project to double-tow barges has been
recognised with a national Safe Transport
award.
The barge emergency anchor release
(BEAR) system, developed by Gorgon
subcontractor Maritime Engineers, was
recognised at the annual Australian
Shipping and Maritime Industry Awards.
event the tow wire parted.
“The BEAR system provides a safe
way of dealing with a situation where a
towline parts, leaving one barge adrift
while the other remains under tow.
It also eliminates the potential risks
associated with tug crews attempting to
manually release the anchor,” said Kent.
A total of 13 BEARs are now installed on
Project barges and Maritime Engineers
has been granted an Australian Patent
for the system.
Maritime Engineers Executive Director
Kent Stewart said the system allowed
tug masters to remotely release the
emergency anchor on a barge in the
Inlet Facilities Nearing Completion
Construction activities are progressing
on facilities in the inlet area, the entry
point for raw gas flowing into the gas
treatment plant from the two fields.
With all the major pieces of equipment
in position, work is well underway to
connect the individual components.
The current focus is completing the
construction of eight monoethylene
glycol (MEG) storage tanks and the
slugcatchers.
it acts as an antifreeze to absorb water
and prevent hydrates forming that could
block the pipelines.
MEG, which will be stored in the tanks,
will flow to the field in a separate
pipeline and back with the raw gas in the
production pipeline. MEG plays a critical
role in the transportation of the gas as
With several hundred people working in
the area it has been a great team effort
to carry out the work in a safe and
coordinated manner.
Operations Powering Up
The first members of the Operations
team have commenced commissioning
and monitoring systems in the Central
Control Room (CCR) on Barrow Island.
The CCR is located in the Project’s
Permanent Operations Facility and will
be used to oversee all aspects of plant
operation, including the gas treatment
and liquefaction process.
Barrow Island LNG Production Manager
Steve Pattrick said activities in the CCR
would continue to ramp up as Gorgon
progresses towards first gas.
“Technicians are commissioning the
fire systems and monitoring equipment
from the CCR. It’s a big step towards full
occupancy when the control panels will
be monitored 24 hours a day,” Steve said.
Find out more about the Gorgon Downstream scope at chevronaustralia.com
Gorgon – A Project Update
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Key Focus on Mechanical, Electrical and Instrumentation Work
With Project execution activities now 90 percent complete, the key focus is the mechanical, electrical and instrumentation
(ME&I) work on Barrow Island.
Gorgon Development Director Scott Young said the ME&I work had ramped up following delivery in June last year of the final
module required to start-up the first LNG train.
“Essentially the ME&I scope involves all work activities required to connect the various components of the plant,” Scott said.
“As Barrow Island is a Class A Nature Reserve we fabricated the plant in smaller pieces offsite to minimise the impact on the
Piping and insulation work underway on the main
cryogenic heat exchanger for Train 1. LNG facility insulation
limits the impact of external temperatures on pipe and
process equipment, keeping the liquid cool and allowing it
to retain its form.
Installing several long pieces of pipe (known as fingers) to
one of the Project’s two slug catchers. The pipes, which are
80m long, were fabricated off-site and lifted into position
by a crane before being welded together. The production
fluid from the feed gas pipeline will be fed into the slug
catchers to separate the natural gas from liquids before
processing.
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Chevron Australia
Welding work to
connect two pipe
racks. The pipe
racks form the main
artery of the plant,
carrying gas from
one process unit to
another.
island during the construction phase, before transporting them to Barrow where they are now being installed and connected.
“With most of the 51 modules and all 236 pre-assembled racks and units already installed, the profile of the plant site won’t
change much this year. However, significant progress is taking place on the ground to complete a wide-range of activities to
enable us to start-up the first LNG train later this year.
“This includes welding, pressure testing and painting activities, as well as installing cabling and insulation. In the next few
months there will be a change in the mix of skills required on site, with the focus of activity turning to the electrical works as
we move from construction to commissioning.”
Completing final testing and inspection of cabling work
in one of the Field Equipment Rooms (FER). There are a
number of FERs around the plant to house the Project’s
instrument, control and monitoring equipment.
Inspecting
completed concrete
works in the inlet
area. The concrete
is coloured to assist
with identifying
the location of
underground
power cables and
instrumentation
equipment.
Pressure testing activities on pipe spools – pre-fabricated
components of the plant’s pipe system – prior to
installation. This ensures the integrity of the spools with
tests run at higher pressure levels than the spools will be
under when the plant is operating.
Gorgon – A Project Update
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Innovation Drives Efficiency
A Container Roll-Out Warehouse
System (CROWS) has been introduced
in the Barrow Island supply chain to
improve the efficiency of equipment
and material delivery.
that fit inside shipping containers.
Depending on the weight of the
materials stowed on the racks, they
can be stacked three high inside each
container.
The CROWS involves specially designed
inter-connectable cargo carrying racks
Once on site the racks are removed
from the container with a forklift and
stacked until the materials are required.
Materials and Logistics Manager Rob
Lowe said the island’s Class A Nature
Reserve status had created additional
challenges during construction.
“The State Agreement under which
Gorgon operates limits the land
available to the Project which means the
total construction footprint, including
laydown, is very small for a project of
this scale,” Rob said.
“The introduction of the CROWS has
increased storage space on Barrow as it
allows four racks to be safely stacked on
top of each other.”
The CROWS has been a collaborative
effort between Chevron, CB&I
Kentz Joint Venture and Sea Box
International.
Monitoring an
Environmental
Legacy
As part of the Project’s
commitment to protecting the
conservational values of Barrow
Island and its surrounding waters
more than 20 ongoing flora and
fauna monitoring programs are
undertaken.
Terrestrial Ecologist Andy Smith
said these programs helped to
verify that appropriate strategies
were in place to minimise Project
impacts on the environment and
the local fauna.
“It is pleasing to see our monitoring
results indicating our strategies are
working,” Andy said.
One of the primary purposes
for data collection is to estimate
population size to better predict,
monitor and manage potential
impacts associated with the
construction and operation phases
of the Project.
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Flatback Turtle Tagging
Seabird Monitoring
Turtle tagging, one of nine marine
turtle-related monitoring programs, is
carried out annually during the nesting
season from November to January.
Surveys monitoring three seabird
species – the Bridled Tern, the Wedgetailed Shearwater and the Silver
Gull – are carried out on Barrow and
surrounding islands.
Undertaken on the beaches of
Barrow Island and Mundabullangana
– a reference site located west of Port
Hedland – teams of volunteers tag,
measure and collect data on the nesting
turtles.
The 2014-15 season marked the tenth
year of the program which has seen
more than 700 volunteers tag and
measure more than 9,000 turtles.
In the previous two surveys more
than 543 Bridled Tern nests and 365
Wedge-tailed Shearwater burrows were
inspected across three islands.
The monitoring team walked more than
34km, counting and recording more
than 5,500 Silver Gulls.
Ear Health Program on the Road Again
With Chevron’s support, Telethon
Speech & Hearing has launched
Australia’s first advanced mobile
audiology vehicle as part of the Chevron
Ear Health Program.
audiology booth and specialised
equipment to provide infant diagnostic
testing as well as paediatric hearing
tests for children most at risk of middle
ear disease.
The vehicle will enable Telethon Speech
& Hearing to reach remote communities
in the West Pilbara where ear health
services are greatly needed.
The aim of the Chevron Ear Health
Program is to prevent middle ear
infection and ultimately improve child
health, learning and development. As
well as the mobile clinic, the program
provides health resources kits and
The vehicle has its own mobile
Community Spirit Bolstered in the Pilbara
Chevron’s latest round of Community
Spirit Fund grants has provided much
needed support to 21 local community
and not-for-profit groups.
education session for families, teachers
and health providers.
It is the only program in Western
Australia providing mobile screening,
diagnosis and clinical care pathways
to address the significant ear health
concerns of Aboriginal children. It will
also deliver resource kits and education
to teachers, parents and health
professionals in the Pilbara.
2014 Community Spirit
Fund Recipients:
Baynton West Primary School
In total, funding worth more than
$110,000 will support 25 separate
community programs. This is in addition
to the $1.2 million already contributed
to community projects across the West
Pilbara since 2007.
Karratha Family Centre
Karratha Senior High School
Karratha Young Professionals
Exmouth Gymnastics Club
The aim of the Community Spirit Fund is
to contribute to community vibrancy
Exmouth Motorcycle Club
and celebrate local culture. The recent
round of grants supported a diverse
range of programs and activities,
including:
• School recycling programs
• Y
outh leadership, networking and
development workshops
• Motorist first aids kits and training
• A
rchiving of local historical
documents and collections
• C
ommunity concerts featuring local
musicians, dancers and performers
Ngarliyarnu Bindirri
Pilbara Population Health
Karratha Primary School
Exmouth CARE
Exmouth Cultural Arts Centre
Pegs Creek Primary School
Exmouth Senior Citizens Club
Ngarluma Yindijibarndi
Roebourne Girls’ Academy
Tura New Music
Exmouth Bowling Club
TOP LEFT An innovative collaboration has improved the efficiency of material delivery and storage on Barrow Island.
BOTTOM LEFT Turtle tagging on Barrow Island.
ABOVE LEFT Glen Toby and Eileen Wright from Ngarluma & Yindijibarndi Foundation Ltd (NYFL) with some of the carved
Aboriginal artefacts, slides and photographs in its historical collection archive. NYFL was awarded a grant to purchase a
commercial de-humidifier to preserve the collection for future generations to enjoy.
ABOVE RIGHT Zoe Waterstrom Muller, a student at Baynton West Primary School in Karratha. The school received a grant
to develop environmentally friendly and sustainable practices in the canteen through the introduction of reusable cutlery
and cups. They have also purchased an energy efficient and water wise industrial dishwasher.
Local Information Network
Exmouth Tennis Club
Pegs Creek Musical
Saving Animals from Euthanasia
Gorgon – A Project Update
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9
MEG PIPELINE
UTILITY PIPELINE
Special devices known as pipeline pigs
are being propelled more than 140km
from the plant site on Barrow Island to
the offshore Jansz-Io field.
variety of sizes to pre-commission the
pipelines. Soft foam pigs were used in
the initial and latter stages to clean and
dry the pipelines,” Sven said.
Pre-commissioning Engineer Sven
Rolfe (pictured above) said the pigs are
being sent through the three pipelines –
production, monoethylene glycol (MEG)
and utility – to confirm they are free
of internal obstructions and debris, as
well as inspect the internal diameter of
the pipelines before the final product is
introduced.
“Bi-directional pigs have been used
to remove debris, such as sand and
welding material from the internal pipe.
The bi-directional pigs used in the MEG
and utility pipelines weigh around 12kg,
while those used in the larger 34-inch
production pipeline weigh up to 250kg.
“We’re using three types of pigs, in a
Soft Foam Pig
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Chevron Australia
“Finally, caliper pigs are used to
measure and record the internal
geometry of the MEG and utility
Bi-directional Pig
pipelines. These pigs are sometimes
referred to as intelligent pigs as they
have ‘little fingers’ that travel 360
degrees around the pig as it moves
through the pipeline to detect changes
in diameter.
“We can safely load lighter pigs into the
pipelines by hand and use a crane to lift
the larger, heavier pigs. A pig launcher
is then used to propel the pigs down the
pipeline, with chemically treated filtered
water or compressed air providing the
pressure to move the pigs through the
pipelines to the offshore field.”
Caliper Pig
A temporary
accommodation
support vessel
has berthed
at Barrow
Island, with
the capacity
to house 1,200
additional
construction
workers.
Train 1
Train 2
Both LNG Tanks are now ready for LNG. Construction is
complete on three of the four condensate tanks.
LNG Tanks
Condensate Tanks
Project execution activities are now 90 percent complete.
Delivery of modules required for LNG Train 2 continues.
All Train 1 modules and 13 of 17 Train 2 modules are on
their foundations.
Gorgon was recently awarded a national Engineering
Excellence Award by Engineers Australia for the JanszIo Subsea Pipeline Scarp Crossing.
Gorgon Upstream Facilities Project Manager Milton
Bruce (second from left) said winning the award capped
off close to 10 years of detailed research, planning and
execution activities.
“Accessing the Jansz-Io field required crossing an
underwater escarpment at the edge of the continental
shelf where the water depth goes from 500m at the top
down to 750m. Typically subsea pipeline span lengths
are in the order of 40m. However, the steepness of the
scarp route resulted in the design of 270m long spans,”
Milton said.
At the end of last year the Salvation Army received a
much needed boost to its Christmas Appeal following a
$10,000 donation raised from ticket sales to Gorgon’s Got
Talent.
Gorgon’s Got Talent has been held annually since 2009
to showcases the hidden talents of those working on the
Project. Each year the winner selects a charity of their
choice to donate $10,000.
Gorgon – A Project Update
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11
weight off,” Ja
mie said.
“The Tastelife Ch
allenge was an
excellent alterna
self-paced diet
tive to the
I had been tryin
g to maintain. I
of support from
received a lot
the ALCs with m
y exercise regim
made easier wi
e and it was
th so many healt
hy food options
in the diners.”
As part of his ex
ercise program
Jamie walked a
after work each
4.5km track
day, before getti
ng on a bike an
20km.
d riding 15 to
His advice for ot
her people look
ing to develop
healthier lifesty
and sustain
le habits is to inv
olve loved ones
in the journey.
“I have since pu
rchased a cros
s-t
ra
iner and boxing
home. I think it’
bag for
s important to
get your family
caught my wife
involved, I’ve
at the punching
bag a few times
better my prev
trying to
ious efforts,” Ja
mie said.
Chevron Australia Pty Ltd
ABN 29 086 197 757
250 St Georges Terrace
Perth Western Australia
6000 Australia
Tel +61 (8) 9216 4000
Fax +61 (8) 9216 4444
Email: [email protected]
chevronaustralia.com
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When Jamie
Hislop (picture
d above) ente
Challenge in th
red the Tastel
e spirit of frie
ife
nd
ly competition
lose more we
his goal was to
ight than his te
am
mates. Nearly
later Jamie wa
three months
s 17kg lighter,
not only beat
but losing the
ing his team m
most amount
ates
of weight sitewide.
There were 38
2 participants
in the annual
on Barrow Isla
Tastelife Chal
nd last year. Th
lenge
e 12-week heal
program is m
th and fitness
anaged by Ca
mp and Caterin
contractor ES
g Services
S. The progra
m aims to incr
about healthie
ea
se awareness
r lifestyle choi
ces through ex
nutritional ad
er
cise plans,
vice, motivatio
nal lectures an
personal traine
d
th
e support of
rs known as Ac
tivelife Coache
s (ALCs).
Jamie said th
e program ca
me at a good
time for him.
“I noticed my
blood pressure
had jumped up
metabolism wa
and my
s slowing dow
n, making it ha
rder to keep th
e