The Queensland Curtis Liquefied Natural Gas (QCLNG) project is scheduled to be the first Queensland project to turn coal seam gas (CSG) into LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas). Owned by QGC and comprising gas fields and production in the Surat Basin with 540 km of pipeline to Gladstone and an LNG plant on Curtis Island, the project involves more than $20 billion capital infrastructure investment. Bechtel was engaged as the EPCM (Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management) contractor for the construction of the LNG plant on Curtis Island. Golder Associates provided Bechtel with geotechnical, geophysical, groundwater and environmental services for Phases 1 to 4 of the QCLNG plant site design at Curtis Island and associated facilities in Gladstone.
Our Role
Commencing in 2008, Golder completed the geotechnical investigation and analysis for the proposed LNG plant and site, including onshore and offshore infrastructure comprising process trains, tanks, jetties, material offloading facility, construction dock and dredge channels.
The onshore geotechnical investigation comprised over 220 geotechnical boreholes, 90 test pits, geophysical and topographic (conventional and LiDAR) surveys.
Golder also provided marine geotechnical services, which involved bathymetric and offshore geophysical surveys, as well as over 60 geotechnical boreholes.
The geotechnical analysis undertaken included site characterisation, earthworks specifications, design for pile capacity, assessment for jetties, trestles and retaining structures, site filling and settlement analysis for footings and structures. This scope also included numerical analysis for large diameter LNG storage tanks.
The geotechnical work was supplemented by acid sulfate soils investigations, groundwater investigations and seawater sampling and monitoring.
The project involved more than 50 Golder staff from our Brisbane and Gladstone offices as well as interstate and overseas. Golder produced over 200 reports on time and on budget.
