News / Final push to complete gas plant
FRENCH oil giant Total is increasing the number of workers building the company’s £800 million Shetland Gas Plant to more than 2,500.
First gas is now not expected to flow before the end of the year, around six months later than originally planned.
The company’s community liaison officer Rhonda Miller said: “We are over 90 per cent complete at the moment, we are still looking for first gas by the end of the year, and we are bringing in another liner to accommodate another 400 workers.”
Last year Total said its workforce would peak at 1,400 but, once it has recruited its latest batch of welders and pipe-fitters, the number will be almost double that. In early 2013 the cost of the gas plant jumped from £500 million to £800 million.
A report from SIC finance chief James Gray last month anticipated that the council won’t start receiving throughput income from the gas plant until the next financial year, which begins in April 2015.
Lerwick Port Authority confirmed on Thursday that the cruise liner Gemini was due to arrive at the Dales Voe base early next week, the sixth floating accommodation unit for the harbour.
The ship, which can accommodate 400 personnel, has been hired by the gas plant’s main contractor Petrofac for an initial period of three months.
The port added that the majority of the other floating accommodation units in Lerwick were expected to remain until towards the end of this year.
However, the Regina Baltica at Mair’s Quay would have to depart by the autumn to make way for the planned construction of the new Holmsgarth North jetty.
Meanwhile, Total has sanctioned the development of the Edradour field, 75 kilometres to the northwest of Shetland, which will feed its gas into the Shetland Gas Plant via the Laggon -Tormore pipeline system as of late 2017.
The company has also bought a 60 per cent stake in the neighbouring Glenlivit discovery.
“With the upcoming start up of Laggan-Tormore, the sanction of Edradour and the entry into Glenlivet, Total is establishing a new strategic hub in the West of Shetland area,” said the company’s Patrice de Vivies.
Total operates the Edradour discovery with a 75 per cent interest together with its partner DONG E&P (UK) Limited (25 per cent).
Following Total’s entry into Glenlivet with a 60 per cent interest, DONG will retain a 20 per cent interest along with Faroe Petroleum (UK) Limited and First Oil Expro Limited, each holding a 10 per cent interest.
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