Bechtel Puts LNG Tanks to the Test on Curtis Island Projects

Bechtel has successfully hydro tested two additional liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage tanks built on Curtis Island in Queensland. The tests confirm that the tanks built for the Australia Pacific LNG and Santos GLNG plants are ready to store LNG and follow the successful test of a tank at the Queensland Curtis LNG project earlier this year. Bechtel is the engineering, procurement, and construction contractor for the plants, being built simultaneously side-by-side.

“The LNG tanks are not only one of the most visible and complex parts of these plants, they are also among the most critical components to ensure long-term production success for our customers,” said Bechtel LNG General Manager Alasdair Cathcart. “Verifying the safety and integrity of the tanks is just one of the many steps we take in our disciplined approach to delivering our customers world-class quality projects.”

Hydro testing takes between two and four weeks to complete. Water is pumped into each of the tanks and held for 24 hours while various tests are carried out. Once testing is complete, it takes about five days to empty the tanks. Hydro testing verifies that each tank can hold its design capacity of LNG at -260 degrees Fahrenheit (-161o Celsius). Each of the QCLNG and GLNG tanks is capable of holding more than 140,000 cubic meters of LNG with Australia Pacific LNG’s tanks each holding 160,000 cubic meters.

In addition to the work on Curtis Island, Bechtel is the principal downstream contractor for the Chevron-operated Wheatstone Project in Western Australia. Bechtel also constructed the LNG facility, in Darwin, in 2005. A global leader in the LNG industry, Bechtel is responsible for about half the LNG liquefaction capacity under construction.