Professional

Thiess, a subsidiary of Leighton Holdings, has this week been awarded a $325 million contract to build a coal seam processing plant in southern Queensland.

The contract involves the construction of six field compression stations and one central processing plant in the Surat Basin, about 30km north west of Dalby, to service QGC's Queensland Curtis LNG Project.  The facilities will process gas that will be transported through an underground pipeline network to Gladstone where the gas will be liquefied. 

So you want to work overseas in mining as an expat? Well, be prepared for a long process! Working overseas is not a simple process to get started – even a domestic position can take up to 3 months for everything to occur before you can start. For a role overseas, you’d be wise to assume it will take twice that amount. Some countries aren’t as well prepared to accept expats as others and this is reflected in their process. However, by being prepared you can alleviate some of the angst that goes with waiting.

It has been a big couple of months for the Santos GLNG Project as we have started to see the results of our significant investment in water infrastructure and technologies over the last couple of years come to life. We are particularly proud of how we are working with the community and landholders in ensuring that the benefits of CSG water (the water we draw out to extract the gas and then desalinate) can be shared.

Karara Mining’s mid west magnetite operation has awarded Downer EDI the mining operation contract, generating 120 jobs.

Valued at approximately $570 million over six years, the contract is on the largest single operation contracts for the project and will include the provision of drill and blast, and load and haul services.

This will comprise around 20 million tonnes of ore and ten million tonnes of waste for the production of eight million tonnes of dry magnetite.

During December 2011, MMG supported Zinc Saves Kids through UNICEF’s Christmas Inspired Gifts (an annual gift-giving promotion run by UNICEF throughout the festive season).

According to UNICEF, in 2011, 16.7 million unwanted gifts were given during Christmas. With unwanted gifts worth an average of $64, Australia spent approximately A$500 million over Christmas– an amount that could provide therapeutic feeding to over 913,242 children for a year.

In September 2011, the Perth metropolitan area was reclassified as a ‘regional area’ for the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS), a scheme that allows employers to sponsor foreign workers for permanent residency.

This change potentially enables Western Australian employers to significantly increase staff retention, with the RSMS requiring employees to remain with their employer for a period of two years from the date the RSMS permanent residency visa is granted.

In an Australia Day Ceremony at Strahan, Darryl Gerrity, the Mayor of the West Coast, announced that MMG had won the “2011 Community Event of the Year” for its 75th Anniversary celebration.

The award was presented jointly to Linda Williams and Christine Winskill - the primary organizers of the event  - on behalf of MMG.

Australia’s gas production – for domestic and export markets – continues to increase every year.  But petroleum liquids production is still failing.  In 2000-01 Australia produced 272.4 million barrels (MMbbl) of petroleum liquids.  By 2010-11 this had fallen to 183.7MMbbl.  This ongoing decline is dramatically increasing the nation’s trade deficit.

A $260m contract to develop the breakwater and materials offloading facility (MOF) of Chevron’s Wheatstone Project has been awarded to a joint venture between Thiess and Belgian company BESIX SA (BEST JV). 

The contract is expected to generate 300 new jobs when work starts on site later this year.  The majority of the work will be based in Onslow with at least 80% of the work under the contract taking place in Australia.