Royal Dutch Shell PLC has opened a $29 million (Aus.) supply base in Darwin to support its coming operations for the Prelude floating LNG (FLNG) project in the Browse basin offshore Western Australia.
The base was designed and built by Decmil and comprises 6,500 sq m warehouse with climate-controlled storage and office facilities. It also has work and storage yards specifically designed to house a range of parts and equipment that will be needed for the Prelude operation.
Shell also is creating employment opportunities for disadvantaged people in the Northern Territory through a joint training program set up by Shell, the territory’s government, Charles Darwin University, and Group Training Northern Territory.
Prelude is widely billed as the first commercial FLNG development. It also is expected to garner national benefits of $12 billion (Aus.) in tax revenue, $45 billion (Aus.) in gross domestic product, and more than $18 billion (Aus.) in LNG, LPG, and condensate exports. The project will create 350 direct and 650 indirect jobs.
The FLNG vessel is currently being built at Samsung Heavy Industries’ Geoje Island ship yards in South Korea.
Prelude interest holders are Shell 67.5%, Inpex 17.5%, CPC Corp. of Taiwan 5%, and Kogas 10%.
