On July 26 2012, Caltex announced that the Kurnell Refinery Facility would be converted into a major Import Terminal. In order to achieve this goal, major works on the Refinery site and at the Kurnell Crude and Products Wharf were scheduled to take place to allow for a greater import capacity of products.
As part of the wharf upgrade works, areas within Botany Bay needed to be dredged to increase the depth to allow for greater import capacity from medium range (MR) to long range type 2 (LR2) import capacity.
New Zealand based company, Heron Constructions, were awarded the dredging contract which entailed the removal of 160,000m3 of sediments using the recently upgraded Machiavelli backhoe dredge and 2x 1250 m3 split hopper barges. The dredged sediments were loaded into the split hopper barges and towed to the Sydney Offshore Dumping Ground, where the material was strategically released.
It was expected that the dredging activities would take approximately 16 weeks from commencement. However, due to proper planning and efficient operations, the entire operation was complete in just under 10 weeks. Heron’s remarkable logistical foresight and practical efficiency resulted in a rapid, incident and injury free project completion that has become the benchmark of Caltex’s expectations.
[mappress]
Press Release, February 21, 2014