Overview
In January 2019, Woodside, operator of the Pluto gas plant on the Burrup Peninsula, engaged AGIG to build, own and operate the bi-directional domestic gas meter station and inlet compressor (Pluto Inlet). The infrastructure is 100% owned by AGIG and allows deliveries of 25TJ/day to the domestic market via the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline (DBNGP).
Design and engineering
In 2017, we conducted concept studies to bring Woodside’s domestic gas to market. We completed preliminary engineering, modelling and costing studies. A Front End Engineering Design (FEED) study was then carried out to further refine the engineering design, including developing compressor package specifications. Once the project achieved Final Investment Decision, we completed detailed engineering design – including reliability analysis, piping stress analysis, detailed procurement sheets and final costings for the project.
Project approvals
Construction did not impact on any registered sites of Aboriginal Heritage significance and so there was no requirement for approval under section 18 of the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972. All approvals associated with the project were of a technical natural and directed through Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS). As the facility sits within the DBNGP easement boundaries, the facility only required a variation to the DBNGP Pipeline License (PL 40), and environmental bridging documents were approved for its construction and operation.
Procurement
To deliver the best outcomes for Woodside, we obtained contractors and equipment for the project in an efficient, cost effective, confidential and ethical manner. The long-lead items of the compressor, valves, fabricated spools and instrumentation equipment were secured through a technical and commercial tender process. Final terms and conditions were then negotiated with the selected suppliers before contract execution.
Construction and commissioning
AGIG built the Pluto Inlet in seven months with no safety incidents. Our construction team executed the technical compressor installation within the small footprint – managing the challenging environment of the Burrup Peninsula to deliver a safe and high quality asset for Woodside.
Operation
Our process engineering team commissioned the metering equipment and compressor for handover to our operations team. This process verified the mechanical and electrical equipment was correctly working, including the remotely operated safety valves, and ensured the Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) remote communications system was transferring data to the Perth based control room. Following regulatory approval, the system was purged with nitrogen before the introduction of hydrocarbons to the system. The pressure was gradually increased with system checks at each megapascal (MPa). The compressor was commissioned by ensuring all components were aligned for operation, completing a blow through and testing to ensure the safety trip functions were operational before adding hydrocarbons.
Once the Pluto Inlet passed all commissioning checks, the system was handed over to operations in the electronic asset management system. This ensured the Asset Management Plan and associated processes developed by the in-house technical and operations teams were functional for operations. Based on these processes, the operations team will undertake preventative and corrective maintenance for the entire life of the Pluto Inlet.
Practical completion
The project was delivered cost effectively for $12.8m leveraging off the world class, in-house engineering and project delivery team.
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