Bechtel announced it has successfully converted natural gas from coal seams into Liquefied Natural Gas ready for export, a world first. Loading of a BG Group LNG vessel is underway at the Queensland Curtis LNG plant, one of three projects Bechtel is simultaneously building on Curtis Island on the east coast of Australia.

“Intricate planning began more than five years ago as our team began working towards developing a new LNG hub in Queensland to service the Asian energy market,” said Bechtel’s Global LNG General Manager Alasdair Cathcart. Building three multi-train LNG projects side-by-side, simultaneously on an island will certainly be listed as one of Bechtel’s greatest achievements in our 116-year history when they are completed in 2016.”

“It’s taken 6,000 people working on the QCLNG project around the world to bring this first cargo of LNG to reality. The significance of this milestone cannot be underestimated. It’s a fantastic achievement that has been achieved by a fantastic team,” Mr Cathcart said.

“And most importantly, we’ve done it safely. We are committed to zero incidents and our employees across the Curtis Island projects have produced a very impressive safety record, 15 times better than the national industry average.

Bechtel is currently building six production trains on Curtis Island, which will produce about 25 million tonnes of LNG annually when complete in early 2016, the equivalent to powering a city the size of Tokyo with 13 million people.

Bechtel is also the principal downstream contractor for the Chevron-operated Wheatstone Project in Western Australia.

About BECHTEL

Bechtel is among the most respected engineering, project management, and construction companies in the world. We stand apart for our ability to get the job done right—no matter how big, how complex, or how remote. Bechtel operates through five global business units that specialize in civil infrastructure; power generation, communications, and transmission; mining and metals; oil, gas, and chemicals; and government services. Since its founding in 1898, Bechtel has worked on more than 25,000 projects in 160 countries on all seven continents. Today, our 53,000 colleagues team with customers, partners, and suppliers on diverse projects in nearly 40 countries.

About BG Group

BG Group plc (LSE: BG.L) is a world leader in natural gas, with a broad portfolio of business interests focused on exploration and production and liquefied natural gas. Active in more than 20 countries on five continents, BG Group combines a deep understanding of gas markets with a proven track record in finding and commercialising reserves.

See the site of the Queensland Curtis LNG plant