Further expanding its presence in Australia’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector, GE Oil & Gas has received a contract of more than USD$150 million from Apache in Australia to supply subsea equipment for the Julimar Development Project, located offshore near Dampier in Western Australia.
The Apache-operated Julimar Development Project is a joint venture between Apache (65 percent) and Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (35 percent). The project will supply raw gas from the Julimar and Brunello gas fields to the Chevron-operated Wheatstone Project in Western Australia. GE also is supplying equipment for Wheatstone, which will become one of Australia’s largest resource projects and will consist of LNG and domestic gas processing facilities.
GE’s contract represents the largest subsea agreement ever awarded by Apache in Australia. GE will be responsible for project management, engineering and procurement of the subsea equipment for the Julimar project.
“We were looking for an equipment supplier that could meet the specific challenges of this important project, including the demands of our tight schedule. With its technology expertise and broad experience in the LNG sector, GE met our requirements,” said Warren Ford, Apache Energy deputy managing director and director of projects in the Australia Region.
“Field conditions for the Julimar project dictate the use of large-bore equipment with high pressure and temperature requirements,” said David Leslie, regional leader for Australia of GE Oil & Gas. “We are able to supply the right technology to meet those standards while also taking advantage of our local presence and global experience.”
The GE equipment for the Julimar project includes subsea manifolds, well systems and fully integrated subsea and topside control systems. Shipments will begin in June 2013 with installation starting in the fourth quarter of that year.
The Julimar project is the latest example of GE’s commitment to Australia’s economic growth. Among GE’s recent investments in the country is the recently opened Jandakot facility in Perth, a $100 million state-of-the-art technology and learning center that will support the training of the next generation of skilled workers in the oil and gas, energy, mining, transportation and water industries.
In addition, GE Oil & Gas has established a strong position in Australia’s LNG sector, providing equipment for many of the country’s LNG projects including Gorgon, Wheatstone and Prelude. According to the Australian government’s Department of Resources, Energy & Tourism, the Australian LNG industry has the potential to attract up to A$60 billion in new project investments over the next 10 years.
[mappress] Subsea World News Staff , February 24, 2012; Image: Apache