hps heads a successful consortium which features fellow Western Australian companies PCT Engineers Pty Ltd and Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd which was awarded the $20 million VGEP Train 3 Gas Plant EPC Contract ahead of a strong field of local and international contenders.

According to hps’ marketing manager, John Doubikin, the VGEP Train 3 contract is the continuation of a strengthening relationship with Apache and the consortium.

“We have worked with Apache on a number of projects and have managed to secure some significant contracts with them over the past 12 months,” said Doubikin.

These contracts include works on the existing island facility as well as offshore platforms. There has also been associated brownfields work for the VGEP project, construction and installation of a new Sales Gas Compression facility and now the Train 3 Gas Plant Project.

“hps is highly conscious of our own safety and environmental standards and this has proven to be of value to Apache,” Doubikin said. “We were acknowledged for how well we performed on site, both on and offshore, and subsequently were invited to tender on the gas plant and the compressor contract. The rest, as the say, is history”.

“Despite this being hps’ first complete gas plant project, there are plenty of people in the company with great experience in this area. For example the Train 3 project manager, Kelvin Andrijich, has recently returned from constructing a gas plant with BHPB Petroleum in Pakistan. We have also had a significant experience managing Gas Compressor Stations in Australia, including the recent EPC contracts for the two SEA Gas Pipeline Compressor Stations.”

The VGEP Train 3 contract comprises the design, construction, installation and commissioning of a 120 terajoules per day (TJ/d) gas processing train on the Varanus Island facility off the north west coast of Western Australia. The project has been committed to by Apache and its Harriet Joint Venture partners to increase gas processing capacity on Varanus Island to meet gas supply demands.

The gas plant has also been designed to boost liquids removal capabilities from the condensate rich Linda gas field which is currently nearing completion in the Carnarvon Basin.

The plant technically consists of three major processing facilities including Dehydration via the Molecular Sieve Process; Hydrocarbon Dew Point Control and Condensate Stabilisation.

To facilitate the fast-tracked nature of the project and to reduce onsite works to the lowest practical level, the entire plant is based around using modular skid type construction. This strategy allows significant works to be undertaken at the hps Kewdale workshop facilities inclusive of pre commissioning prior to shipment to site.

Additional to the main processing units is the design and fabrication of a new hot oil skid that will supply the heating medium for the process by recovering waste heat from new and existing gas turbine engines.

The VGEP Train 3 gas plant is targeted for start up in the first quarter of 2005.