THE $2.4 billion expansion of the North West Shelf natural gas project will generate economic growth, create employment and increase State exports.
The six partners in the North West Shelf Venture recently put their stamp of approval on a proposal to build a fourth 4.2 million-tonne-a-year LNG train, the biggest train to be built anywhere in the world.
LNG production from the NWSV on the Burrup Peninsula now stands at 7.5 million-tonnes-per-year and a new LNG carrier has been ordered to cater for the increased volume of natural gas.
NWSV partners Woodside, Shell, BHP, BP, Chevron and Mitsui/Mitsubishi will sink $1.6 billion into the train and associated infrastructure along with a further $800 million into the construction of a second pipeline linking the offshore gas fields to the Karratha processing plant.
NWSV chief executive officer Dr Chris Haynes said the project would bring significant economic and social benefits to the Pilbara region, WA and the nation.
The project is expected to create 9000 jobs directly and indirectly across Australia during the three-year construction period, which started in January.
At least 400 of these jobs are set to be created in Perth during the engineering and procurement stages of the project.
