THE WOODLANDS, Texas, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- Woodside Energy Ltd., which runs a huge Australian offshore natural gas operation, has hired Chicago Bridge & Iron Co. NV for an expansion.
CB&I is being paid more than $200 million as the mechanical erection contractor for construction of a fifth liquefied natural gas production train at Woodside's Karratha facility.
The expansion, near Karratha in Western Australia, will increase the Woodside plant's capacity by 4.2 million metric tons per year to 15.9 million metric tons per year, making it one of the largest LNG complexes in the Asia-Pacific region, CB&I said Monday in a statement.
The gas for the LNG facility will come from Woodside's North West Shelf operation.
CB&I's work includes the installation and hook-up of modular LNG units, as well as structural, mechanical and piping works installation. The company will mobilize on site in October and expects to complete its portion of the project in the first quarter of 2008. The on-site work force is expected to peak at about 850 employees.
