Enerflex successfully installed a pressure reducing metering station within the Iona Gas Plant, located at Port Campbell, Victoria, which will allow the flow of gas to Origin Energy’s Mortlake Power Station via a previously installed 80 km pipeline.
Construction of the pressure reducing metering station began in December 2009. Working to a tight delivery schedule, Enerflex completed construction in April 2010.
Enerflex’s scope of work on the project included:
* The establishment of site offices and workshop facilities;
* Upgrading the existing site access roads;
* Performing all earthworks and pouring all concrete footings and slabs for the project;
* Fabricating and installing the
350 mm below-ground tie-in line from the pressure reducing metering station to the main pipeline;
* Fabricating and fitting out four skids in the company’s workshop in Western Australia and transporting the skids to the site with subsequent installation;
* Fitting out the new site control room offsite and transporting it to the project site; and,
* Performing all site electrical works.
In addition to enabling gas flow from the Iona Gas Plant to the Mortlake Power Station from a number of different supply lines, the metering station allows gas to be drawn into the plant as the need arises. Enerflex Project Manager Mike Roberts said “The facility serves to condition the gas, meter its flow and then regulate the flow in whichever direction is required.”
Careful planning
A range of pipe sizes were used on the project, the largest of which was 350 mm in diameter and approximately 150 m long. Two of the pipeline tie-ins required excavating to a depth of 3.5 m in a reactive clay soil. In addition, this was to be completed within a tight compound allowing limited space for excavations.
Enerflex used a planned sequence to ensure that there was no damage to existing assets in the area, and excavated by hand around the existing live pipelines.
Installing the skids also posed a challenge for Enerflex due to the site’s difficult access conditions and live brownfield site. Enerflex managed to successfully install the skids, three of which measured approximately 5 m by 12 m, by again using a carefully planned and job hazard-analysed sequence for skid installation.
To minimise skid installation time onsite, Enerflex assembled the skids as far as possible in the workshop and performed comprehensive factory acceptance testing before dispatching the skids to the site. Mr Roberts said that fabrication of the skids in the Enerflex workshop involved large shop crew sizes. The crew undertook the work over two shifts – working around the clock – due to the urgency and fast-track nature of the project.
Right in time
Mr Roberts said that the biggest challenge on the project was the client’s need for the facility to be constructed in the shortest possible timeframe. However, Enerflex rose to the challenge.
“We were able to complete site mobilisation less than three weeks after we were awarded the job,” said Mr Roberts. “This was only possible because we are geared up for exactly this type of work.”
Onsite, the crew size varied depending on the work being performed, with a maximum of approximately 20 crew members working on the project.
Enerflex’s engineering support group also provided invaluable support to the project designers, particularly in the areas of piping material selection, developing complex weld procedures, electrical design, and quality acceptance inspection of many major free-issue items.
There were no injuries throughout the course of the project. Mr Roberts attributes this to the safety culture within Enerflex’s workforce.
“Our site teams are largely made up of experienced and highly competent tradesmen and are led by exceptional supervisors,” said Mr Roberts.
“Company safety systems were closely integrated with those of the client to provide a strong framework for safe operations on site.”
Mr Roberts said that Enerflex prides itself on clean, organised construction sites – a key part of the company’s safety culture – which leads to efficient site operations and effective control of works.
Enerflex performed all of the civil, electrical and mechanical works using in-house expertise and personnel.
The civil crew was supplemented by local sub-contractors to assist with bulk earthworks and site preparation – McKinnon Quarries and Civil Ltd and Greencon Ltd.
The project builds on Enerflex’s 30 years of experience designing, fabricating and commissioning gas industry solutions, including processing, compression and pipeline facilities. Having been one of the compression industry’s pioneering companies, Enerflex specialises in constructing small to medium-sized natural gas processing facilities and compressor stations with capacities of up to 300MMcf/d of gas.