Australia: QGC Project Employs 3600 Workers

Nearly 3600 people are now working on the Queensland Curtis LNG Project and QGC-related business.

At 31 March 2011, QGC’s total workforce included 1356 full-time employees, 1435 employees with major contractors, and more than 800 in several smaller contract companies. About 96% of the total are Australians.

The figures are outlined in QGC’s first six-monthly report to the Queensland Coordinator-General on Australian industry participation in the QCLNG Project.

QGC Senior Vice President Jim Knudsen said company expenditure on the project and related business from 1 January 2010 was estimated at A$2.3 billion.

Of this, almost 75% (A$1.7 billion) was spent in Australia with more than half (A$1.3 billion) spent in Queensland.

“By 2014, we expect about half of our expenditure on the LNG project to be spent in Australia and nearly 80% of expenditure over the project life to be spent in Australia,” Mr Knudsen said.

The $15 billion QCLNG Project involves developing fields in the Surat Basin and transporting gas in a 540km underground pipeline network to Gladstone where it will be liquefied for export.

The project will generate an estimated A$32 billion in additional revenue for Queensland in its first decade.

Mr Knudsen said QGC currently had more than 550 contracts across its business for services and equipment that included piping, generators, freight, bus, barge and crane hire, fuel, concrete batching, steel tanks, fencing, engineering services, electrical work, camp services and stevedoring.

“More than 1500 businesses have registered their interest in being involved in the project and nearly 2000 company representatives have attended briefings to learn about the project,” he said.

“Time and time again we hear stories about small family businesses in our host communities growing and prospering – it’s a busy time for all of us.”

Mr Knudsen said QGC still had more than 200 vacancies for roles ranging from engineers to production supervisors, maintenance staff, plant operators, trades assistants, welders, health and safety officers, land and community liaison staff, warehouse and administration staff and project managers.

He said QGC and its contractors employed 92 graduates and apprentices at 31 March 2011, and 1773 people had completed short-course training across 20 skills areas.

“QGC has also spent more than $39 million in research and development since establishing its business in Queensland, specifically in water management, drilling techniques, gas and LNG technology, pipeline transport and environment,” Mr Knudsen said.

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Source: QGC, June 10, 2011;