Operations Bulletin, issue 5, August 2015

ISSUE 5 AUGUST 2015
Former Toowoomba local Tony Nunan appointed to lead QGC
Tony is looking forward to leading QGC into long-term, sustainable and more efficient operations
Former Toowoomba local Tony Nunan has taken on the role of QGC Managing Director as Mitch Ingram returns to BG Group’s head
office as Executive Vice President Technical.
Tony had been Deputy Managing Director since returning in June from two years in the United Kingdom as Vice President of
Operations at BG Group, QGC’s parent company.
Tony said it had been great to return to QGC both from a personal perspective and also to see how much everyone has given to the
huge developments and achievements that have been made in the time he has been away.
“There’s a tremendous sense of accomplishment and pride that flows through the organisation,’’ Tony said.
Under Mitch’s leadership QGC has made significant advances, including world-first production of liquefied natural gas from gas in
coal seams in December last year, the start of commercial operations at our liquefaction plant on Curtis Island in May this year and
the start-up of Train 2 in July.
Surat Basin
This section features information about activities in our
natural gas development areas that cover more than 3,800
square kilometres and span from south of Tara to north-west
of Wandoan.
Drilling rigs
This year we are drilling about 25 new wells a month to expand
our inventory.
In August the following activities are occurring:
•
10 crews building new access roads and well pads
and rehabilitating existing and old well pads
•
4 rigs drilling new CSG wells
•
9 rigs completing new wells and servicing existing wells.
Rig crews stay in small mobile camps that are set up near the
rigs. On average, rigs are relocated every three to four days and
require 11 to 20 truck movements. Rigs and camps are moved in
accordance with travel management plans that are approved by
local governments and the Queensland Department of Transport
and Main Roads.
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PAGE 1
OPERATIONS BULLETIN
ISSUE 5 AUGUST 2015
Well site inspections
A team of 50 operators inspect each of QGC’s more than 2,520
wells once a fortnight. Operators are required to strictly adhere
to land access and weed management rules for individual
properties. This team, who drive utilities, represent a major
proportion of our light vehicle movements around the region.
The following activities are occurring during August:
•
Pipe stringing and welding
Pipeline construction
•
Pipe trenching, pipeline laying and backfilling,
including some road crossings
•
Strength and leak testing of completed pipelines.
Longest trunkline under construction
Contractor Murphy Pipe and Civil are constructing the longest
steel trunk pipeline in QGC’s Surat Basin development areas
to transport gas between four gas processing facilities located
between Condamine and Tara.
West of Chinchilla
• Vegetation clearing and grading for new gathering
pipeline easements
South-west of Dalby
• Strength and leak testing of completed pipelines
•
Rehabilitation of construction sites and
pipeline easements.
West and north-west of Wandoan
• Vegetation clearing and grading for new gathering
pipeline easements
•
Pipe stringing and welding
•
Pipe trenching, pipeline laying and backfilling
and tie-in connections
•
Rehabilitation of construction sites and
pipeline easements.
Road closure for pipeline integrity test
On the evening of Thursday 6 August contractor UPT will
conduct routine tests to confirm the integrity and safety of gas
and water gathering pipelines buried next to sections of Wains
Road, off Tara-Chinchilla Road, about 26km west of Kogan.
An experienced team of more than 220 workers is
constructing the 46km steel pipeline and accompanying
fibre-optic and high-voltage cables to connect the MatildaJohn, Lauren and Kate Field Compression Stations to the
Jordan Central Processing Plant.
When completed in Q4 this year, the 600mm diameter
pipeline will provide more flexibility for movement of
gas between the central processing plants at Jordan, northeast of Tara, and Bellevue, near Miles, both of which supply
gas to the Wallumbilla Gladstone Pipeline that feeds the
Queensland Curtis LNG plant on Curtis Island near Gladstone.
Gathering
This work is in addition to ongoing installation of gas and
water gathering pipelines to connect new wells to our
existing processing networks.
It is a requirement of the Australian Pipeline Industry
Association Code of Practice for polyethylene pipelines that
no-one be within 165m of the pipelines during the tests.
The properties next to the testing area are owned by QGC,
but to limit the impact on neighbouring landholders and local
traffic the tests will be carried out between 6pm on Thursday
6 August and 6am on Friday 7 August. That section of Wains
Road will be closed during this time.
The Queensland Police and Western Downs Regional Council
have approved the road closure during the testing period.
Pipeline inspections
QGC operators working in small teams regularly inspect the
543km Wallumbilla Gladstone Pipeline easement to monitor
the infrastructure and progress of vegetation rehabilitation.
In August the following activities are occurring:
•
Aerial inspections from west of Dalby (Ruby Jo site) to west
of Wandoan (Woleebee Creek site) and between Chinchilla
and Gladstone during the first half of the month
•
Daily on-ground easement inspections from west of Dalby
(Ruby Jo site) to Gladstone.
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PAGE 2
OPERATIONS BULLETIN
ISSUE 5 AUGUST 2015
Water treatment
Normal operations are resuming at the Central Water Treatment
Plant, south-west of Chinchilla, following unplanned maintenance
work during June and July, and the monthly water nomination has
increased as a result. Net production will remain at this level up to
and after a scheduled maintenance shut down during September.
The table below lists the current daily output rate and total output
for the year from each plant.
Plant
Current nominal output
2015 Output to date
Central
55 ML/day
10,192 ML
Northern
20-25ML/day
3,945 ML
Offices and logistics
Workforce transport
Hutchinson Builders’ development of QGC’s Upstream
Operations Supply Base at Chinchilla – pictured – won Best
Industrial Building in the Downs and Western category at the
2015 Queensland Master Builders Association Regional Housing
and Construction Awards, held in July. The project will now go
into the running for the Queensland
awards in October.
Our people are transported by bus between Brisbane and the
Western Downs and between their accommodation and worksites
to reduce traffic on the roads and to minimise risks associated
with fatigue.
Watch a time-lapse video of
construction of the 4500m2 facility
on QGC’s VIMEO page at
www.vimeo.com/qgcinfo
or by using this QR code
•
The relocation of demountable buildings from the recentlyclosed accommodation camps at our Kenya and Windibri
facilities to our lay-down storage yard at Miles will begin on
Monday 10 August and continue until late-September.
•
The relocation of demountable buildings – pictured – from
part of our Woleebee Creek camp has been completed.
•
Refurbishment works at Chinchilla Airport are on schedule to
be completed later this month. The project is being managed
by Western Downs Regional Council with runway pavement
works conducted by Ostwald Bros. QGC has provided
$4.7 million to fund the cost of the project. QGC has been
operating charter flights into and out of Miles Airport
during the refurbishments.
Current services:
•
One daily return bus service Monday to Friday between
Brisbane and Woleebee Creek camp, via Toowoomba,
Dalby, Chinchilla and Miles
•
One daily return bus service Tuesdays and Thursdays only
between Brisbane Airport and Ruby Jo site
•
Two return bus services a day Monday to Friday between
Roma Airport and Woleebee Creek camp. Route includes
Warrego Highway and Leichhardt Highway
•
Up to six return bus services a day between the QGC
office at Carmichael Street, Chinchilla, and Miles Airport.
Route includes Warrego Highway
•
Up to two one-way services a day between Miles Airport
and Kenya site office. Route includes Warrego Highway,
Chinchilla-Tara Road and Vanrenens Road
•
Up to three one-way services a day between Miles Airport
and Windibri site office. Route includes Warrego Highway,
Chinchilla-Tara Road and Kogan Condamine Road
•
Up to three return services a day Monday to Friday
between QGC office at Carmichael Street, Chinchilla,
and Kenya site office, plus up to two return services
on weekends. Route includes Chinchilla-Tara Road
and Vanrenens Road
•
Up to three return services a day Monday to Friday
between QGC office at Carmichael Street, Chinchilla,
and Windibri site office, plus up to two return services
on weekends. Route includes Chinchilla-Tara Road and
Kogan-Condamine Road.
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PAGE 3
OPERATIONS BULLETIN
ISSUE 5 AUGUST 2015
Gladstone
LNG production
The first cargoes featuring LNG from Train 2 were loaded during
the second half of July.
Progress at QCLNG
Work is continuing to progress Train 2 through commissioning
and start-up phases of development as the rate of LNG production
increases. As a result, infrequent flaring is expected to continue
until both trains have moved to normal operations.
In July there were short periods of increased flaring as natural gas,
refrigerants and nitrogen was cycled through Train 2, resulting in
black smoke occasionally being emitted with the flame.
Flares are safety devices. Flaring is the term used to describe
the controlled burning of gas released from industrial plants
when it cannot be processed for commercial use.
For more information about flaring at the QCLNG plant,
read the fact sheet under News & Media on our website or
download a copy here.
The Department
of Environment and
Heritage Protection
operates a network of
air quality monitoring
stations in the Gladstone
region. To view data
gathered by these
stations visit
www.ehp.qld.gov.au/air/.
Flaring at the LNG plant
Flares are safety devices. “Flaring” is the term used to describe the controlled burning of gas released from industrial
plants when it cannot be processed for commercial use.
At the Queensland Curtis LNG (QCLNG) plant on Curtis
Island near Gladstone, there are a number of occasions when
flaring may be required. This factsheet explains the purpose of
flaring and how it is monitored and managed at the QCLNG plant.
The flares in operation on Curtis Island have been designed and
constructed in accordance with QGC’s Environmental Authority
issued in 2010 and international best practice.
Flaring commenced at Curtis Island in August 2014 as part of
commissioning of the facility. Commissioning includes unusual
operating conditions while the plant is progressively brought
online and equipment undergoes performance tests. Variation
in flare volumes and visibility during commissioning is consistent
with standard industry practice.
Flaring activity will reduce over time as the plant moves from
commissioning into consistent operations and reliability improves.
Flare Systems
The infrastructure for flaring is an integral part of the operational
and safety management systems of an LNG plant. The flares
have been designed in line with best practice codes for the
international oil and gas industry.
The infrastructure involves three separate flare systems
supporting the plant:
1. Wet Gas Flare: designed to handle warm hydrocarbon
streams or natural gas from early stages of processing that
may contain some water vapour, refrigerant vapour and water.
2. Dry Gas Flare: designed to handle vapour and chilled gas
or LNG from latter stages of processing.
3. Marine Flare: handles vapour from the LNG Storage
Tanks and/or from any ship vapours not recovered
during ship loading.
www.qgc.com.au
Waterside Restricted Zone
The following information is provided on behalf of QGC and Gladstone Ports Corporation to users of Gladstone Harbour near the LNG
facilities on the south-eastern corner of Curtis Island.
For up-to-date information on activities in Gladstone Harbour, please remember
to always check the Gladstone Ports Corporation website www.gpcl.com.au,
which includes information about hazards and safety zones; and the Maritime
Safety Queensland notices to mariners at www.msq.qld.gov.au, Vessel Traffic
Service broadcasts can be monitored using VHF channels 13 or 15.
•
A waterside restricted zone (WRZ) is an area of water where
ships may berth, moor or anchor to which access to other
vessels is restricted and to which unauthorised entry is
an offence.
•
A WRZ is activated at the QCLNG wharf one hour before
the arrival of an LNG carrier and remains while the vessel is
berthed and until it is 400m from the berth after departing.
•
The zone extends 220m from the wharf, 220m from its most
northerly and southerly points and back under the jetty
towards the shore.
•
As port operator, Gladstone Ports Corporation (GPC) is
responsible for managing and enforcing WRZs to meet
standards set by the Maritime Transport and Offshore
Facilities Security Act 2003.
•
Commercial and recreational users must not enter, stop,
or anchor within a WRZ unless authorised to do so by GPC.
•
A 250m safety zone around the wharf is also active while
a vessel is berthed.
For more information about WRZs please contact the
Gladstone Ports Corporation Security Office on 07 4976 1350.
COMMUNITY INFORMATION LINE 1800 030 443 (24-HOUR TOLL-FREE)
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OPERATIONS BULLETIN
ISSUE 5 AUGUST 2015
Pipeline
Becoming a supplier
Landholders planning to do any digging around
buried pipelines should call ‘Dial Before You Dig’ (call 1100,
www.1100.com.au) to obtain the specific location of the
pipelines and associated infrastructure.
Prospective suppliers wanting to work for QGC or our major
contractors should register with supplier management
network Achilles. Initial registration is free and will make you
visible to our Contracts and Procurement team when work
becomes available. You can also prequalify with Achilles First
Point Supplybase (FPS) which will make you visible to all the
top organisations that are members of the FPS community.
You can learn more about the process on our website at
www.qgc.com/becoming-a-supplier.
Call the QGC Operations Centre (1800 77 88 98) to report
any emergencies, damage or vandalism, flooding, subsidence,
washouts or erosion, unauthorised access to easement
facilities or uncontrolled fire.
Communities
Date
Location
Activity
Wednesday 12 August
Gladstone
CSIRO marine environmental CSG research forum for community and
industry 9am for 9.15-11.10am. McArthur Room, The Oaks Grand Gladstone,
79 Goondoon Street. Interested parties should contact Jizelle Khoury, at
[email protected] or (02) 9490 5512 RSVPs are essential.
Tuesday 18 August
Gladstone
Gladstone Region LNG Community Consultative Committee (RCCC)
Saturday 29 August
Wandoan
Wandoan Community Clean Up Day
9-11.30am. Meet at Windmill Park, Royd Street. For more information
contact Kaylene Clarris at [email protected].
Sunday 30 August
Chinchilla
Chinchilla Autofest
7am-1pm. Chinchilla Primary School, Cnr Middle and Colamba Streets.
For more information contact Rhonda on 0412 786 928.
Opportunities for local groups in QGC Communities Fund
Western Downs and Gladstone community groups
can apply for grants from the second round of the
QGC Communities Fund.
Eligible not-for-profit organisations and local
governments can apply for $10,001 to $50,000 for
projects up to 12-months that enhance regional liveability.
The funding round opened on 1 August and closes
on 30 September 2015. Applications will be assessed by
panels comprising QGC and community representatives.
An application form and guidelines can be downloaded
from the Communities section of our website or here.
Projects that are eligible for support include training
programs for employees and volunteers, new facilities
and equipment to support education in science, technology,
engineering and maths (STEM), improvements to buildings
or resources, events and festivals.
COMMUNITY INFORMATION LINE 1800 030 443 (24-HOUR TOLL-FREE)
The Gladstone Musical Society raised the roof with a special concert to celebrate
refurbishments of their historic hall, made possible with a $20,527 grant from the
first round of the QGC Communities Fund.
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OPERATIONS BULLETIN
ISSUE 5 AUGUST 2015
Tara Festival of Culture and Camel Races
Thousands visited Tara from Friday 31 July to Sunday 2 August for the Tara Festival of Culture and Camel Races, presented by the Tara Futures Group. QGC supported the
event with a $15,400 grant from the first round of the QGC Communities Fund.
COMMUNITY INFORMATION LINE 1800 030 443 (24-HOUR TOLL-FREE)
PAGE 6
OPERATIONS BULLETIN
ISSUE 5 AUGUST 2015
QGC Supports Queensland Ballet’s London debut
RCCC was established in 2011. It has members who represent
local organisations/regions and each LNG company.
The RCCC has been helping prepare Gladstone businesses,
workers and the wider community for changes ahead as the
workforce on Curtis Island continues to reduce.
Queensland Ballet, Peter Schaufuss’s La Sylphide, Dancers Shane Wuerthner
& Meng Ningning, Photographer Georges Antoni, Creative DesignFront
Good luck to everyone involved in Queensland Ballet’s London
debut this month. The company will give seven performances
of Peter Schaufuss’ award-winning production of La Sylphide
at the Coliseum Theatre, supported by BG Group and Principal
Partner QGC.
Several programs have been implemented to manage the
challenges of transitioning to operations including QGC’s
ongoing liaison with community services to monitor and
address pinch points, and support for contractor Bechtel in
delivering Business Sustainability Master Classes to 80 local
businesses and organisations.
For further information regarding the Committee
and its activities contact the RCCC Secretariat at
[email protected] or freecall 1800 030 442.
Report provides snapshot of Gladstone
recreational fishing trends
Under the direction of international former star dancer
and author Li Cunxin, known for his bestselling book and
movie Mao’s Last Dancer, the Queensland Ballet now enjoys
international acclaim and holds a permanent place as one of
Australia’s premier ballet companies.
Queensland Ballet is bringing its vision to enrich lives through
ballet to Gladstone this September. QGC has sponsored the fourday camp for students aged 5-15 and a performing arts workshop
for adults.
Consultative committee focuses on end of LNG
construction in Gladstone.
Chris Brooker with a barramundi caught on a Gladstone fishing charter in 2012.
Gladstone anglers are increasingly satisfied with their fishing
experiences and are catching as many fish as in recent years,
according to a report produced for the Gladstone Recreational
Fishing Project, also known as Gladfish.
The report is the culmination of three years’ research by Infofish
into recreational fishing trends in Gladstone Harbour, the
Narrows and adjacent waterways.
Members of the RCCC discussing local issues
More than $365,000 was provided for the initiative
through the QGC Sustainable Communities Program that was
developed in consultation with the Gladstone Sportfishing Club
and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Local Marine
Advisory Committee.
The Gladstone Regional LNG Community Consultative
Committee (RCCC) is helping manage the end of construction
of the LNG plants on Curtis Island.
Gladfish was one of several projects QGC funded in the
Gladstone region during peak marine movements to monitor
and safeguard recreational fishing and boating safety.
A joint community committee including QGC and fellow
LNG companies Australia Pacific LNG and Santos GLNG, the
The report is available from the Gladfish website
www.info-fish.net/gladfish
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PAGE 7
OPERATIONS BULLETIN
ISSUE 5 AUGUST 2015
Travis Mitchell Inter-Club Challenge
Riders line up for the start of the Travis Mitchell Inter-Club Challenge.
The life of Travis Mitchell was celebrated in July when Chinchilla Motocross Club hosted more than 250 riders and another
500 attendees at the Travis Mitchell Inter-Club Challenge.
Travis was a highly-regarded member of the Chinchilla community and QGC’s Upstream Operations Team and manager
of the Condamine Power Station. He tragically died from injuries sustained in a crash when riding his motorbike on TaraChinchilla Road on 12 April.
All proceeds raised at the event were donated to Travis’s family.
QUT ‘Biglift’ program
Early in July QGC hosted 30 students from Queensland
University of Technology’s ‘Biglift’ program, designed
to attract undergraduate students to regional centres
instead of major cities to further their careers.
The students visited QGC’s community information
centre at Chinchilla where they were given an overview
of the company and Queensland’s natural gas industry.
Maintenance Superintendent Neale Fourro explains the process of gas
production to students participating in the QUT ‘Biglift’ program.
This Operations Bulletin is designed to provide communities in the Surat Basin and Gladstone with a variety of information
about our activities. It has been developed in response to feedback from community members interested in understanding
what to expect from our operations.
Visit the QGC website (www.qgc.com.au) to read Links Australia, our quarterly magazine. You can also sign-up to our
subscription list to receive copies of both publications.
We look forward to your feedback at [email protected]
Enquiries
For all general enquiries, please call 1800 030 443
(24-hour toll-free) or email [email protected]
Visit our information centres at:
Chinchilla
Gladstone
Wandoan
Woolworths Complex,
Shop 18-20 Bell Street,
Chinchilla, QLD 4413
72 Goondoon Street,
Gladstone, QLD 4680
27 Royd Street,
Wandoan, QLD 4419
QGC PO Box 266,
Chinchilla, QLD 4413
COMMUNITY INFORMATION LINE 1800 030 443 (24-HOUR TOLL-FREE)
PUBLICATION DATE 6 AUGUST 2015
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