Scarborough Gravimetry Project achieves record
Fugro Australia was contracted to design, fabricate and install more than 220 concrete pads.
In a project the size of Scarborough, so much work goes on behind the scenes.
And Western Australian local businesses in Karratha, play a big part in its success.
Fugro Australia was contracted to design, fabricate and install more than 220 concrete pads, around 1000 metres below the sea surface in a grid like pattern, to cover the extent of the Scarborough Gas Field (~760 Km²).
As gas is extracted from the Scarborough field and the reservoir pressure declines, the lower density gas is typically replaced by higher density aquifer water. This results in a very small, localised change in gravity.
The concrete pads on the seabed allow precise gravity measurements to be made at the same location, prior to production and at times, during production. Changes in the gravity measurements over the life of the field allow for monitoring and prediction of water movement within the reservoir to help us better understand the field characteristics for efficient gas extraction.
Fugro subcontracted the fabrication of the moulds and concrete pads to Baru Group – an Indigenous owned and Traditional Owner concrete fabricating company in Karratha.
“A project of this kind and scale has never been achieved in the southern hemisphere before this. By working with Baru, Fugro were able to offer innovative safety in design and leading environmental solutions to ensure the right materials were used, and that people’s safety was the first priority,” said Seismic and Survey Operations Project Manager Anthony.
Baru's part in the project was to fabricate 21 concrete moulds and 220 concrete pads. They used a custom designed concrete mix that was plastics free and prepared them for installation in less than six months.
A big job which meant many of their 25 workers, including three Indigenous employees worked hard to meet the tight deadline. But together, both businesses delivered bespoke custom concrete pads with a design life of 50 years - appropriate for the water depth and scale of the Scarborough Gravimetry Project.
“There was really good communication during this project. The Woodside representative was fantastic and it was the first contract in our new spacious facility in Gap Ridge in Karratha. The precast job was also a fantastic starting point for our Indigenous workforce,” said Nick Tallon from Baru Group.
