CBI Gets Green Light On Pluto

CBI Constructors Pty Ltd (CBI) is set to manufacture two liquified natural gas (LNG) storage tanks and three condensate tanks on behalf of Foster Wheeler Worley Parsons for Woodside's multi billion dollar Pluto LNG Project northwest of Karratha, Western Australia.

The massive project is forecast to produce 4.3 million tonnes of LNG each year from five sub sea big bore wells in the Pluto gas field. The wells will be connected to a platform adjacent to the Pluto gasfield, and linked to the shore by a 36 inch wide, 180 kilometre pipeline.

CBI specialises in complex projects in remote locations. It will design, build and supply the tanks to the onshore gas processing plant storage facility, and export jetty at the Burrup LNG Park near Karratha.

The two LNG tanks will be manufactured from special Grade 490 XLERPLATE® steel, while the three condensate tanks will use Grade 250 and Grade 350 XLERPLATE® steel.

"Woodside, Foster Wheeler Worley Parsons and CBI have worked together for over 20 years," CBI Project Manager Al Garza said. "We chose XLERPLATE® steel because we wanted to emphasise local supplies and support local business. BlueScope Steel is in our backyard, has the best delivery schedule and is also competitive on price, so it was a natural alliance. CBI is well known for delivering on time, and we will be finished on the project by the second quarter of 2010," Mr Garza said.

The Pluto and Xena (in the same region) gas fields have a combined dry gas volume estimated at five trillion cubic feet, with Pluto to produce the first gas in late 2010.

Integrated sale and purchase agreements, and project equity and shipping arrangements with Tokyo Gas and Kansai Electric of Japan, will underpin the project over the next 15 years.