Scheme connects

THE Industry Capability Network of WA has launched a new scheme to help Australian companies win supply contracts with major Asian oil and gas contractors.

The ICN, which has managed similar programs during the past five years, has gained just over $250,000 of federal government funding for the two-year Supplier Access to Major Projects (SAMP) scheme.

ICN WA has recruited former Austrade and Ernst & Young executive Craig Banks to run the scheme.

Mr Banks said the scheme's goal was to connect Australian companies into the supply chains of major Asian oil and gas module contractors as well as the Asian procurement hubs of global engineering companies such as FosterWheeler, KBR, Bechtel, WorleyParsons and Technip.

The scheme builds on the success of Asian module contractors in winning global project tenders, which is leading to increased procurement activity to support this work.

The new scheme will seek to leverage ICN's relationships with the owners of oil and gas projects in Australia - companies such as Woodside and Chevron - with introductions to their preferred module contractors in Asia.

ICN WA director Linus O'Brien said the scheme was aimed at helping Australian suppliers win work on projects globally, not just those in Australia.

ICNWA will work in tandem with its equivalent body in the Northern Territory, which will help Australian industry win work on Inpex Browse's proposed Ichthys LNG project in Darwin.

Inpex announced on Friday that it has awarded the front-end engineering design contract for its LNG plant to JGC Corporation, KBR and Chiyoda Corporation.