12.04.2022

Five year crane contract for EnerMech

Gas exploration and production company Inpex Operations Australia has awarded a five year contract to UK-based engineering and offshore services company EnerMech, for the maintenance and inspection of its cranes and lifting equipment - both offshore and onshore - involved in the Ichthys LNG Field off the shore of Western Australia.

The gas field, one of the most significant worldwide, lies around 220 kilometres offshore at a point around 820 kilometres southwest of Darwin and covers an area of around 800 square kilometres, in water with an average depth of around 250 metres. Gas and condensate from the Ichthys Field are exported to processing facility near Darwin via an 890 kilometre pipeline.

Starting in May, EnerMech cranes & lifting division will project manage and deliver campaigns consisting of the supply of lifting and rigging equipment, testing, certification and the provision of 24 hour crane maintenance and technical support.

EnerMech’s is strengthening its core team of specialist engineers, maintenance technicians, offshore inspectors and support staff through a local recruitment campaign in Darwin. It has also invested in new equipment and tooling containers.

EnerMech is based in Aberdeen, Scotland and was established in 2008. It now has eight locations in Australia, having opened its Perth office in 2009 and been active in Darwin for the past 12 years. This is its second contract with Inpex - in December 2020 it landed a five year contract to support Ichthys LNG Phase 2 through the supply of nitrogen and specialised pressure testing services.
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An Inpex offshore LNG production platform

EnerMech’s regional director Garry Ford, said: “This five year contract with Inpex represents a significant expansion of EnerMech’s cranes and lifting operations in Australia. The scope firmly positions EnerMech as the largest cranes and lifting maintenance services company in the region. We have a highly skilled team with a wide range of specialised skills. We are very pleased to be able to grow our team with the local talent in-country and social enterprises, allowing us to support the local Darwin economy.”

Inpex Australia is a division of Japan’s largest oil and gas company with activities in Australia dating back to 1986. The Ichthys Field was discovered in Western Australia’s Browse Basin in 2000. It has the capacity to produce 8.9 million tonnes of LNG a year, along with 1.65 million tonnes and up to 100,000 barrels of condensate a day. The first gas from the field was delivered in 2018.