TEXT-WorleyParsons says wins Pluto LNG project contracts

(Following is the text of a statement from Australian contractor WorleyParsons Ltd (WOR.AX))

SYDNEY, Dec 20 - WorleyParsons in a joint venture with Foster Wheeler (known as the FWW JV) has been awarded the Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management contract by Woodside Burrup Pty Ltd for the Pluto LNG Project's onshore production plant and associated infrastructure.

The project involves the development of the Pluto and Xena gas fields (located offshore Western Australia, in water depths of up to 1,000 metres, approximately 180 km north-west of Karratha) for export as LNG.

The initial phase of the development will include five subsea big-bore wells on the Pluto field with flowlines to a platform (in 85 metres of water) which will be connected by a 180km, 36-inch subsea pipeline to an onshore liquefied natural gas production plant with forecast production of 4.3 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG.

An additional WorleyParsons joint venture with KBR (known as the Eos JV), was awarded the Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management Support Services contract for the Pluto offshore platform in August 2007.

WorleyParsons was also recently awarded the detailed design for Stage 1 of the Pluto Marine Supply Base.

The total revenue to WorleyParsons of these three arrangements is expected to be approximately A$320 million. FWW and Eos recently completed the Front-End Engineering Design for the onshore plant and offshore platform respectively.

WorleyParsons Chief Executive Officer, Mr John Grill, said: "We are delighted to continue playing key roles in the offshore, onshore and infrastructure aspects of this world class LNG development which is setting new schedule benchmarks. This demonstrates the breadth of WorleyParsons' capability, our capacity for 'mega project' execution, and the strength of our partnering approach - and is also a testament to our strong relationship with Woodside."