Oil and Gas Project Update and a clue to where the jobs are.......

Whilst Liquefied Natural Gas production is the hot ticket for Western Australia, there is no doubting that Coal Seam Gas is the hot ticket for Queensland, with both sectors anticipated to create around 80,000 jobs in construction and operational jobs in the next five years.

Whilst you will now see the majors such as Woodside, Chevron and Santos (see their Expressions of Interest on the site) advertising for operational roles in preparation for major projects such as Pluto, Gorgon and Gladstone LNG commencing production, the bulk of the jobs will be in construction and with smaller businesses supplying the works or equipment.

When the general media talks about 10,000 jobs with Gorgon for example, around 2,000 of these are likely to be ongoing operational and the remainder with suppliers or major contractors who are awarded work packages during the construction phase.  This applies to other projects.

When seeking opportunities to work on projects, the following is a guide:

Operational Roles

• Will include Engineering, Technical, Functional Support (like HR, Supply, Finance etc) Trades and Operating roles.  Typically, employers/operators will seek candidates who are highly experienced in their area, obviously qualified, and/or for operating roles, will ideally have a trade background.  You will, however, see growing opportunities for trainee positions for operating, and apprenticeships for trades.  Santos, for example, has already announced a $50m investment in trade and trainee roles in readiness for their Gladstone LNG project.

Construction Roles:

• These will vary considerably and include all types of Engineering functions, including highly specialist Project Engineers and Managers through to Labourers and Trade Assistants.
• Work will be with major construction contractors like Monadelphous, United, Transfield Services, Thiess etc and generally provide a reasonable tenure on projects.  These types of organisations typically recruit all level of roles depending on the nature of the work package awarded.
• Other work will come from smaller suppliers with very specific work packages.  For example, work packages might include the construction of the accommodation village where plumbers, carpenters and formworkers are required, or for diving services, where only highly skilled and qualified divers are required.

When we blog about projects and who has been awarded work packages, we do so to offer information on what type of work will be conducted and who then may be seeking people to complete that work.  This facilitates your own research.  For example, recent work and supply packages awarded for Gorgon include:

• Baker Hughes; awarded the sub-assembly workshop services for Drilling and Completions.
• Alliance Painting and Decorating; awarded the contract for upgrade painting of the LNG and condensate storage tanks.
• Easternwell Group Operations Pty Ltd; awarded provision, operation and maintenance of the well service rigs.
• Allseas Construction Contractors; awarded the offshore pipelay contract.  They will likely then engage the services of another contracting organisation to man the vessel.

The work and supply packages for the LNG Jetty and Marine have now closed for tender.  Such packages will include diving services, electrical works, steel formwork, instrumentation, and barge preparation works.

In addition, Chevron continue to work towards the development of their Wheatstone Project with a major industry briefing for suppliers being held this month, and 56 packages just closed for tender and another 46 new packages just listed.

If we turn our attention to Queensland, there are a number of Coal Seam Gas Projects under consideration, with five projects making significant progress to a Final Investment Decision; three are due shortly by QGC, Santos and Arrow Energy.

Projects making good headway include:

Santos Ltd/Petronas; proposing to develop Gladstone LNG Project, a LNG plant at Hamilton Point West on Curtis Island.  The first LNG cargo is expected in 2014.  The Final Investment Decision (FID) is expected by the end of this year.

Queensland Gas Company (QGC);a wholly-owned subsidiary of BG Group Plc, QGC is planning to develop a LNG plant at North China Bay on Curtis Island, called the Queensland Curtis LNG Project (QCLNG).   The first LNG cargo is expected in 2014 with the FID expected sometime in 2010.

LNG Limited;proposes to develop a LNG plant at Fisherman’s Landing, Gladstone, called the Gladstone LNG Project – Fisherman’s Landing. The first cargo is expected in 2013.

ConocoPhillips/Origin Energy; plan to construct the Australia Pacific LNG (APLNG) project, a four train LNG plant on Curtis Island near Gladstone. 

Shell (CSG) Australia Pty Ltd; a wholly-owned subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell Plc, they propose to construct a plant at Boatshed Point on Curtis Island near Gladstone. There is no formal or public statement on when the first cargo is expected to occur.

Impel (Southern Cross LNG); plan to construct an open-access LNG terminal on Curtis Island near Gladstone. Production is expected to start in 2013.

Sunshine Gas/Sojitz Corporation; proposing to establish a mid-scale LNG plant at Fisherman’s Landing. Sunshine Gas is now owned by QGC.

Energy World Corporation; in the very early stages of planning, their proposal includes the development of Energy World’s tenures in the Cooper Basin near Eromanga and the construction and operation of a pipeline linking the fields to Abbot Point.  They also propose to establish a LNG plant at Abbott Point.

To learn more about specific projects and who has been awarded work contracts, type the project or company name in the top right hand search bar.  This will source all blogs written about that project and/or company and provide you with important information to adi your job search.