The equipment is for the first compressor train for the new LNG facility, which is operated by BP.

The president of GE Oil & Gas, Claudi Santiago, is quick to admit that the conditions found at the site means that the company has to deliver the best possible product.

According to Santiago, "because of the climate and the remote location of Papua, the Tangguh LNG project is challenging both for the owners and the contractors [but] we are pleased that our technology has been selected to support these efforts."

According to the terms of the agreement, GE Oil & Gas will supply the two main refrigerant turbo compressor strings for the compressor train and the mixed refrigerant string will include one low-pressure axial compressor and one medium-pressure centrifugal compressor.

These are to be driven by a GE Frame 7EA gas turbine and a helper/starter steam turbine and the propane string will include one low-pressure and one high-pressure barrel centrifugal compressor driven by a GE Frame 7EA gas turbine and a helper/starter steam turbine.

The compressors will be manufactured in both company's facilities in the US and Italy and that the compressor strings will be shipped from Italy some time in 2005. Furthermore, GE Oil & Gas will provide engineering and procurement services, fabrication, packaging and full-load testing facilities for the new LNG project.

The Tangguh facility, once it is at optimum capacity in 2007, is expected to produce around 7 million tonnes of LNG per annum. BP is the operator on behalf of a consortium of companies made up of MI Berau B.V (a Mitsubishi Corp and INPEX Corp joint venture), CNOOC Ltd, Nippon Oil Exploration Berau, BG International Ltd, KG Companies (a consortium made up of Japan National Oil Corp, Kanematsu Corp and Overseas Petroleum Corp) and LNG Japan Corp (a joint venture between Nissho Iwai Corp and Sumitomo Corp).