Maersk wins Gorgon stage two job

Maersk Supply Service has been contracted to provide its two newbuild anchor handling tug supply vessels support the Chevron-operated Gorgon stage two drilling programme.

Maersk Mariner and Maersk Master will provide towing, anchor handling, supply, and WROV services for the programme in the Northwest Shelf of Western Australia starting in the second quarter of 2019, the company said in a statement.

The two vessels have been working in Western Australia since September 2017 and March 2018 respectively, where they will remain until the contract commences.

Throughout the programme, both vessels will be operated by local crews and supported from Maersk Supply Service’s Perth shore base.

In July last year, Chevron Australia has decided to proceed with further offshore development of its Gorgon LNG project off the northwest coast of Western Australia.

Chevron Australia managing director Nigel Hearne said then that the Gorgon stage two is part of the original development plan for Gorgon and includes the expansion of the subsea gas gathering network required to maintain long-term natural gas supply to the 15.6 million tons per annum LNG plant and domestic gas plant on Barrow Island.

This planned future development phase at the Gorgon natural gas facility involves new wells in the Gorgon and Jansz-Io fields, and accompanying offshore production pipelines and subsea structures.