WATCH: South Korean shipyard wraps up load-out ops for key element of Chevron’s gas project

November 12, 2024, by Melisa Čavčić

South Korea’s shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean is closing in on the sail-away of a field control station (FCS), destined for a subsea gas compression development off the coast of Western Australia, after making further progress in the FCS’ construction.

Load-out of FCS for Jansz-Io compression project; Source: Hanwha Ocean

After Chevron Australia, a subsidiary of the U.S.-headquartered oil major Chevron, sanctioned the Jansz-Io compression (J-IC) project in early July 2021, the firm ordered an FCS from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) shipyard, now known as Hanwha Ocean, a few months later. At the time, the contract for the FCS was valued at around 650 billion won or about $545 million.

According to Hanwha Ocean, the load-out of the field control station for the Jansz-Io compression project has been completed. The firm describes the achievement as “a significant milestone.” The FCS is designed to receive high-voltage power from Chevron’s Gorgon natural gas facility on Barrow Island and supply low-voltage power to the production module installed in the Jansz-Io field while controlling the subsea production module.

The South Korean player, which is in charge of engineering, procurement, construction, and transportation (EPCT) scope for the FCS, underlines its commitment to utilizing high-grade materials and adhering to strict production and quality management processes.

“Hanwha Ocean looks forward to continued collaboration with the Chevron Australia team to safely deliver the remaining fabrication and systems completion work on the FCS ahead of sail away. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone involved in this project,” underlined the Asian shipbuilder.

While no timeline has been confirmed for the sail-away, the FCS was previously expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2025. Located around 200 kilometers off the northwest coast of Western Australia, at approximately 1,350 meters below the surface, the Jansz-lo field has been supplying gas to the Chevron-operated Gorgon LNG plant located on Barrow Island since 2015.

As the modification of the existing Gorgon development, Jansz-Io entails the construction and installation of a 27,000-tonne normally unattended floating FCS, approximately 6,500 tonnes of subsea compression infrastructure, and a 135km submarine power cable linked to Barrow Island.

The floating facility will be tied to the seabed by 12 mooring lines. The project is expected to enable the tie-in of other fields within the Greater Gorgon Area. Chevron hired several contractors for the project, including Aker Solutions for subsea compression technology and umbilicals, ABB for the overall electrical power system, and MAN Energy Solutions for five subsea compression units.