GE Oil & Gas has received a $594 million, 22-year contractual service agreement (CSA) to provide a broad range of advanced technology services for QGC’s Queensland Curtis LNG (QCLNG) plant.
One of Australia’s largest infrastructure projects, the QCLNG plant will be the world’s first facility to turn coal seam gas into LNG.
The QGC plant is the first of four LNG projects scheduled for Curtis Island and is expected to begin production in 2014, with the LNG produced primarily targeted for export including to China, Japan and Singapore.
GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt said, “The QGC project on Curtis Island is a glimpse of the future. It is also a great example of how industrial internet-based services—where we connect advanced machines, data and experts—can deliver better outcomes for our customers and society."
The GE scope of work will include planned and unplanned maintenance of the GE equipment being installed at the QCLNG plant, including 15 PGT25+G4 aeroderivative gas turbines, 28 centrifugal compressors, gearboxes, generators and all auxiliaries.
The agreement also includes monitoring and diagnostic services, as well as reliability guarantees on the equipment.
In announcing the contract, BG Group Chief Executive Chris Finlayson said, “As construction of the QCLNG Project passes the half-way mark we are increasing our focus on how we are going to operate the facilities safely and efficiently in the decades ahead. BG Group is committed to reducing emissions through advanced, proven technologies and design.”
“Using GE’s technology will contribute to the QCLNG plant being one of the most emissions-efficient facilities of its kind in the world."
The QCLNG project will be supported by GE resources in the Asia Pacific region and worldwide. Maintenance activities on the power turbines and compressors will take place at GE Oil & Gas facilities in Jandakot, Western Australia and in Florence, Italy.
Monitoring and diagnostics will be provided from GE Oil & Gas’ global iCenters, located in Florence, Houston and Kuala Lumpur.
These centers house teams that constantly track and advise on the performance of installed equipment, enabling customers to optimise plant availability and life cycle of parts.
This ability to ‘predict-and-prevent’ service and maintenance issues through the industrial internet—a connected network of technology, data and experts—is a core part of GE’s strategy to deliver the most advanced service solutions to its customers.
QGC is part of the international BG Group that was formed in 1996. The Queensland Curtis LNG project draws upon QGC’s coal seam expertise and BG Group’s international experience in LNG.
GE Power & Water has supplied on-site power generation and water filtration equipment for the new water treatment plant near Chinchilla in Queensland to support the QCLNG project.
Australia now has under construction 70 percent of the world’s LNG capacity, capable of supporting 40 to 50 years of production, according to Australia’s Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics.