ASCO consortium to build Darwin gas base

The Northern Territory government has named a private sector consortium as the preferred bidder to build, own and operate a supply base for the oil & gas sector that will compete with similar facilities in Western Australia.

The preferred bidder is the ShoreASCO Consortium, which is led by ASCO Holdings and includes Macmahon Contractors and Capella Capital.

The decision reflects the NT government’s vigorous push to capture work in the oil & gas field, particularly in the Timor Sea and Browse Basin off WA’s northern coast.

Darwin is also the preferred site for Inpex to build an LNG plant for its Ichthys project, which will process gas located off the WA coast.

The NT government’s progress contrasts with the long-running battle facing the WA government over its plans to build a gas processing hub near Brome and a supply base at Derby.

ASCO is an international oil & gas logistics company with 20 bases around the world. Last November, it bought Darwin business ShoreBase, which was a local provider of logistic support to the oil & gas sector.

The Darwin supply base is due to be completed by the end of 2013 and will service oil & gas supply ships, known as rig tenders. The project will employ about 125 people at the peak of construction.

Perth-based Macmahon is the construction partner in the consortium and will have no equity or operating involvement.