Innovative structural engineering and execution approach to delivering modular facilities for the Gorgon Project
The Gorgon Project on Barrow Island, located about 60 km from the northwest coast of Australia, was given the green light in September 2009. Construction and commissioning of the Gorgon LNG trains is limited to a 300 hectare development on a Class A reserve. Our commitment to the environment has driven our use of extensive modularisation to build the LNG trains. All of the major components have been pre-fabricated and assembled offsite into transportable parts,“ significantly reducing our footprint on the island. Subsequently the structural modules (including pre-assembled Piperacks) have undertaken a journey on a scale and complexity unmatched in the global LNG industry. The modules have been designed and built at diversely located engineering, fabrication and construction sites. These are then loaded out and sea transported from different international shipyards in more than 6. sea-transportation voyages, carrying more than 300 modules weighing more than 280,000 tonnes under constantly varying and hostile sea-faring conditions. The modules reach their final destination at Barrow Island to be installed without impacting the island’s uniquely treasured flora and fauna. These modules are designed to operate for its entire service life on cyclone-rated Barrow Island, which in the past has registered the highest ever wind gust of 408 kmph. Design and execution of the modules to sustain severe environmental conditions during its service lifecycle has been made possible by employing an innovative engineering mindset supported by robust structural methodologies to develop suitable facilities that can operate in a highly complex environment. This extended abstract showcases the structural engineering and execution methodologies that successfully overcame the challenging journey of the modules, thereby delivering a world class development co-existing with conservation in a pristine nature reserve on a very limited footprint.