Australia: Ichthys LNG tank platforms installed

The Inpex-operated Ichthys LNG project in Australia said it has completed the two “most complex” heavy lifts to date at Bladin Point near Darwin.

A collaborative effort between the Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Laing O’Rourke consortium along with ALE Heavy Lift and Alliance Engineering Consultants saw the recent installation of both LNG tank platforms, according to the latest project construction update.

The LNG tank platforms weigh approximately 320 tonnes each and were lifted 44 metres to the roof of each of the 165,000-cbm tank, involving 23 lifting lugs and 53 different slings, the update said.

The platforms are an essential part of each LNG storage tank as it is the entry point for gas being pumped from the process trains and the exit point for gas being delivered to the product loading jetty.

“A team of specialist engineers, riggers and workers were involved in the intensive preparation processes down to the inspection of every last nut and bolt behind the lift,” JKC Tank Construction Superintendent, Randolph Maseyk said, adding that this is a “huge achievement for the project in general”.

Each lift took six hours from start to finish and the team has already started working on preparations for the butane and propane tank platform lifts which are due to take place in the coming months, according to the update.

Inpex announced in September last year that it had postponed production start-up at its $34 billion Ichthys project until the third quarter of 2017, from the end of 2016.

The Japanese company also raised the project’s annual LNG production capacity by approximately 6% to 8.9 MTPA from the initially planned 8.4 MTPA.

The Ichthys project is a joint venture between Inpex, major partner Total, Taiwan’s CPC Corporation and the Australian subsidiaries of Tokyo Gas, Osaka Gas, Kansai Electric, Chubu Electric Power and Toho Gas.

LNG World News Staff