Pluto LNG Project, Western Australia

• Operators: Woodside
• Location:North West Shelf of Western Australia
• Timeframe: 25 year lifespan, expected to start production during second half of calendar year 2010, 18 month construction for Train 1. Trains 2 and 3 have been approved and FEED commenced, which will extend construction opportunities.
• Cost: $12bn
• Employment: 3000 direct jobs during construction and up to 200 during operations, plus a further 3000 indirect jobs. Woodside will also boost their workforce by some 1,000 when operational.
• Status: Under construction, first shipments could begin from late 2010

Awarded Contracts and Employment Opportunities include:

• AusGroup; construction support activities, including mechanical works for the installation of structural steel and process piping, installation of mechanical equipment, pre-assembled pipe racks, modules and structures, testing of pipework and associated activities. This work has commenced, with completion scheduled by end of FY2010. In November, AusGroup was awarded further contracts associated with construction of an Effluent Treatment Plant, which includes the installation of equipment and pre-assembled package units, piping and structural steel work. This brings their total to five contracts on the project.
• United Group; construction services, including the installation of interconnecting structural steel and pipe work for the LNG train. The bulk of the contract is expected to run for 15 months and began in April 2009.
• Forge Group; design and construction of some buildings and related facilities, including the administration office, rigging and chemical stores, and other warehouse facilities.
• Tox Free Solutions; to provide total waste management and industrial services. The contract covers waste services at the LNG Facility, Karratha Supply Base and other offshore and exploration facilities.
• BGC has been contracted to do site preparation of Industrial Site A.
• The engineering for the onshore portion has been awarded to the Foster Wheeler and WorleyParsons consortium. The offshore FEED for the platform and facilities has been awarded to the EoS joint venture between KBR and WorleyParsons. FEED studies are expected to be completed in the second half of 2010.
• Allseas was appointed to install the 36" carbon steel trunkline with its giant new pipelay vessel Audacia, with pipeline installation, completed late 2009.
• The Acergy vessel Toisa Proteus is contracted to complete the all of the subsea installations, anchor spreads and flowlines. The vessel is manned by Brunel for construction crew and Total Marine for the ship’s crew and catering. This is underway and should be completed mid 2010.
• CAPE Australia, was awarded a contract to supply scaffolding and other access services during the construction phase.
• Monadelphous - awarded a contract for major works.
• Joint venture partners, FosterWheeler and WorleyParsons together with Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR) have been awarded the FEED contracts for Pluto trains 2 and 3. FEED studies are expected to be completed in the second half of 2010.

In an article appearing in The Australian in early December 2009, Senior Human Resources Manager, Lesley Adams said that Woodside did not decrease its level of recruitment in 2009, hiring some 450 new employees to support the current and future needs of the operation.