Shell Australia News

Shell warned on Tuesday that a proposal in Australia to force more export gas into the domestic market could end up deterring investment and exacerbating shortages.Ahead of Australia's May 3 general election, energy has emerged as a major campaign issue with the conservative Liberal-National coalition pledging to bring down power bills and prevent a looming shortage on the east coast through a gas reservation scheme.However, Shell Australia Chair Cecile Wake said export controls…

Australia will not put curbs on gas exports after reaching a deal with its three east coast producers of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to avert a forecast supply crunch, Resources Minister Madeleine King said on Thursday.The government threatened the export curbs in August, worrying Asian buyers and LNG investors, following a warning by the competition watchdog that the east coast market faced a shortfall of 57 petajoules of gas in 2023.The pact unveiled on Thursday provides for Queensland Curtis LNG…

Australian oil and gas industry safety regulator NOPSEMA has ordered Shell to keep the giant Prelude FLNG facility off W. Australia shut until it can convince the regulator that it can keep the facility properly powered and that the safety systems are operational.The order comes after production from the floating facility was shut earlier this month after a sudden loss of power, and subsequent failed attempts to re-establish reliable power aboard.In its report on Thursday, NOPSEMA said: "At around 22:40 on 2 December 2021…

The Western Australian Minister for Ports, the Hon. Alannah MacTiernan MLC opened the expanded facilities of HR Wallingford’s new Australia Ship Simulation Center.HR Wallingford has added two new purpose-built simulators to its center in Fremantle, bringing the total number of simulators that it owns and operates there to six. This makes it one of the largest ship simulation centers in Australia and allows a full maneuvering team (including pilots, tug masters and vessel traffic service (VTS) operators) to conduct integrated and immersive full port scenarios.In her speech…

Shell’s QGC business, along with its joint venture partners CNOOC and Tokyo Gas, have shipped the 500th cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from its LNG plant on Curtis Island, Queensland.The cargo will be delivered by Gladstone’s namesake vessel, the GasLog Gladstone, Shell said.Shell’s QGC Vice President East, Tony Nunan said: “The 500th LNG cargo safely completed loading today from our plant on Curtis Island, five years since the first cargo set sail.“It takes commitment and collaboration to safely and efficiently develop, process and supply gas to both domestic and international markets. Everyone involved should be very proud of the work taken to reach this important milestone.“Thanks goes to our Joint Venture Partners CNOOC and Tokyo Gas…

Flowserve Corporation (FLS), a provider of flow control products and services for the global infrastructure markets, has entered into a five-year contract with Shell Australia to provide general maintenance services for Shell’s Prelude Floating Liquified Natural Gas (FLNG) facility, which is producing natural gas from an offshore field in Western Australia.A press release from the American multinational corporation said that it will support Prelude from its recently refurbished Quick Response Center (QRC) in Darwin, the capital of Australia’s Northern Territory.Flowserve QRCs are dedicated maintenance, repair and manufacturing workshop facilities that provide customers with responsive, local support.

The first shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) has sailed from Shell’s Prelude floating LNG (FLNG) facility offshore Australia, Shell announced Tuesday alongside its joint venture partners INPEX, KOGAS and OPIC.This shipment from the world’s largest floating producer of LNG, located 475 kilometers northeast of Broome in Western Australia, will be delivered by the LNG carrier Valencia Knutsen to customers in Asia, more than eight years after financial investment decision (FID) and nearly two years after the facility arrived in Australia."How fast Prelude delivers its second and third cargo…

Royal Dutch Shell's  Shell Australia said Wednesday it entered into a sales agreement with Timor-Leste to sell the government a 26.56% interest in the Greater Sunrise fields for $300 million.The Greater Sunrise fields, comprised of the Sunrise and Troubadour gas and condensate fields, are located about 150 kilometers (93 miles) southeast of Timor-Leste and 450 kilometers (279 miles) northwest of Darwin in the Northern Territory, Shell said in a statement.Timor-Leste's Special Representative Xanana Gusmão stated that "Timor-Leste appreciates Shell's willingness to sell its interests in the Greater Sunrise project".Gusmão recalled that…

Australian oil and gas company with a global presence  Woodside announced that the Greater Western Flank Phase 2 (GWF-2) Project off the north-west coast of Australia has commenced gas production.A press release from the operator of the North West Shelf (NWS) project quoted its CEO Peter Coleman saying that  the project has been delivered $630 million below the expected cost of approximately $2.0 billion (100% basis) and six months ahead of schedule.“The project team has done an outstanding job executing and delivering GWF-2, which represents the next phase in gas supply to the NWS Goodwyn A platform, extending the life of the Karratha Gas Plant and contributing to Woodside achieving our targeted production of 100 MMboe in 2020…

Spot LNG exports in government's cross-hairs; ConocoPhillips, Origin, Shell now in the firing line. The Australian government on Monday warned that the country's east faced a worse-than-expected natural gas shortfall in 2018, but the competition watchdog said the gap could easily be filled by diverting uncontracted exports to the local market. It is now up to the government to decide by Nov. 1 whether to pull the trigger on its Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism, which allows it to curb liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from the nation's east coast if it determines there will be a shortfall in any year. The supply gap identified…

At 488m in length, and longer than four football pitches, Shell’s Prelude FLNG facility was always going to represent a formidable challenge even for the skilled tug masters who were charged with towing the facility from the shipyard in South Korea where it was constructed, and delivering it to its final destination, a remote gas field 475 kilometers off the coast of Western Australia. But practice makes perfect, and HR Wallingford, using its Australia Ship Simulation Center in Fremantle…

The engineering group Monadelphous has won a $200 million Shell Australia contract on its Prelude floating LNG project off the Kimberley coast. The contract is for major, long-term maintenance and modifications services for the Prelude Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) project in Browse Basin, 475km northeast of Broome in Western Australia. Monadelphous will provide maintenance, brownfield modifications and turnaround services to the LNG process plant, support utilities, hull and non-process infrastructure including accommodation and control rooms. The contract also includes the delivery of fabrication services from Darwin in support of offshore operations. The contract is for an initial seven years with a further two, 2 year extension options.

The Browse project covers the realization and installation of three FLNG units to develop the Brecknock, Calliance and Torosa fields in the Browse Basin, 425 kilometers North of Broome, Western Australia. The Browse project will capitalize on Shell's FLNG experience, as well as on Woodside's offshore and subsea development expertise. The first contract awarded to the Technip Samsung Consortium covers the front-end engineering design (FEED) elements of the Browse FLNG project, taking into account the composition of the gas, local weather conditions and factors specific to each of the three fields. This contract was immediately novated by Shell to Woodside as operator.

Out at sea, look! It’s a ship! It’s a floating rig! It’s SuperFLNG! While not “faster than a speeding bullet,” Shell’s shipzilla Prelude is certainly more powerful than a speeding locomotive, and will be able to leapfrog in size, many of the world’s tallest buildings. By any definition, the super-size Prelude floating liquid natural gas (FLNG) vessel is gargantuan. And yet it is designed to cram everything you’ll find in a full-size, shore-based processing plant into roughly a quarter of the space.

Shell Australia has awarded a major contract for the design, construction and operation of three Infield Support Vessels (ISVs), which will create approximately 80 local jobs and support its Prelude FLNG Project, located 475km north-north east of Broome, in Western Australia. Perth-based KT Maritime Services Australia Pty Ltd, a joint venture partnership with KOTUG International B.V and Teekay Shipping Australia Pty Ltd, will supply three 42-meter, 100-metric-ton bollard-pull vessels to assist in product offloading during the operations phase of the project.

Shell Australia and Challenger Institute of Technology, in Western Australia, have committed to a multi-year partnership to develop training programs for the technicians who will operate and maintain the energy giant’s revolutionary Prelude Floating LNG facility. Shell and Challenger will jointly develop the training programs, which will be rolled out from 2014 as Shell completes the construction and commissioning of the Prelude FLNG facility, to be stationed in the East Browse Basin off WA’s Kimberley coast.

Drydocks World and Maritime World, one of the largest and most diversified shipyards in the world, announced that Chairman Khamis Juma Buamim, will participate in the Mare Forum, Rome, Italy where he will deliver a keynote address. The theme of the forum “Quo Vadis” (Where are you going?) is significant to the issues that will be raised during his address. This high profile annual event attracts a wide participation representing a global and diverse section of the maritime & offshore community including ship-owners…

Shell Australia announced its Geelong Refinery is for sale. The proposed sale of the 120 kb/d refinery is in line with Shell’s global strategy to concentrate investment on large scale sites, such as the company’s world scale Pulau Bukom refinery in Singapore. The announcement underpins Shell’s local strategy to grow its retail and bulk fuels business, along with terminals and pipelines. Shell recognizes that other parties, with a different portfolio, may have a different strategy and want to enter or expand in the Australian refining market.

Decmil Group wins $25-million Shell Australia contract in support of the Prelude Floating LNG facility in the Northern Territory. Decmil has been engaged by Shell as the principal contractor for construction of the Darwin Onshore Supply Base to support the Prelude Floating LNG Facility. As project manager, Decmil will have responsibility for the design and construction of the facility including detailed engineering, contracting, procurement, fabrication, transportation and all statutory and regulatory approvals. CEO Scott Criddle said: “We are delighted to welcome Shell as a new client. “Decmil has been increasing our exposure to the oil and gas industry over recent years and it is therefore very pleasing to secure this major contract.

Vung Tau Shipyard in Vietnam delivers Platform Support Vessel (PSV) to Farstad Shipping Singapore subsidiary. Far Sitella, a STX PSV08 CD offshore vessel, is bound for Australia where it will commence its long term commitment to Shell Australia related to their Prelude drilling campaign. A long-term facility has been drawn with Nordea Bank to finance the vessel. Farstad Shipping's fleet currently consists of 57 vessels (28 AHTS, 26 PSV and 3 SUBSEA) and 3 PSV and 4 AHTS under construction.

Offshore Service Vessel 'Far Skimmer' delivered from STX OSV Vung Tau in Vietnam to Farstad Shipping Pte. Ltd. in Singapore. Upon arrival in Australia, the vessel will commence its long term commitment to Shell Australia related to their Prelude drilling campaign. A long-term facility has been drawn with Nordea Bank to finance the vessel. Farstad Shipping Pte. Ltd. in Singapore, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Farstad Shipping ASA. Farstad Shipping's fleet currently consists of 55 vessels (29 AHTS, 23 PSV and 3 SUBSEA) and 6 PSV and 4 AHTS under construction.