Wood, KBR to work on Shell’s Crux project

Wood and KBR have secured a new multi-million dollar contract to deliver an integrated front-end engineering design (FEED) for Shell’s Crux project to build a not normally manned (NNM) platform and gas export pipeline located approximately 600km north of Broome, offshore Western Australia.

The Crux facilities will be an important source of backfill gas supply to the Shell-operated Prelude floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility. The remotely operated, minimum facilities NNM platform concept for Crux will dry the gas and export the gas/condensate to Prelude via a new 160km multiphase gas pipeline.

Wood said on Wednesday that the services would be delivered over 18-months by Wood and KBR’s engineering and project management teams in Perth, WA, supported by Wood’s Kuala Lumpur resource base. The teams will provide a single integrated FEED for the Crux topsides, jacket, export pipeline and subsea pipeline end manifold (PLEM).

Robin Watson, Wood’s chief executive, commented: “This contract win to deliver the next generation of offshore facilities for Shell Australia demonstrates our unrivaled subsea pipeline expertise and offshore engineering capabilities.

“Wood has extensive experience in  delivering technically complex subsea engineering projects in Western Australia. We are committed to expanding our portfolio in the region, developing local content by investing in industry talent, resources and supply chain.

“Working alongside each other for more than 20 years, Wood and KBR provide a powerful combination, leveraging the  experience of two tier one contractors.”

Wood also provides specialist consultancy services for flexible riser integrity management to the Shell-operated Prelude  FLNG facility.

Stuart Bradie, KBR president and CEO, said: “KBR is committed to adding value to our customers. That’s why we are delighted to partner with Wood to bring together two industry leaders to deliver one world-class complimentary team whilst continuing our long relationship with Shell and  Perth, Australia.”

Earlier this week Offshore Energy Today reported that Australia’s NOPSEMA had released Shell’s Crux offshore project proposal for public comment.

The Crux gas field is located some 160 kilometers north-east of the Prelude field in the northern Browse Basin offshore Western Australia. It is located in Commonwealth waters 190 kilometers offshore north-west Australia and 620 kilometers north-northeast of Broome.

Front-end engineering and design for the project is expected to begin in 2019 with the financial investment decision (FID) currently scheduled to occur in 2020.