Project Profile
Value: US$460 million
Location: Coast of South Australia, Spencer Gulf, 250 kilometres north-west of Adelaide, Australia
Processing capacity: 3,300,000 tonnes per year
Pipeline length: 659 kilometres
The Port Bonython project included the construction of a pipeline and a processing plant. The project is located on the coast of South Australia near Whyalla at the head of the Spencer Gulf, approximately 250 kilometres northwest of Adelaide. Santos is the operator with 66.6% interest, partnered by Delhi (bought by Beach Energy in 2006) with 20.2% and Origin with 13.2%. LPG production commenced in 1984 and with it the first export to Japan. Total investment to construct Port Bonython palnt and the liquids pipeline from Moomba was approx US$460 million.
The Port Bonython hydrocarbon processing plant accepts liquid hydrocarbons in a mixed stream of products sent from Moomba via a 659 kilometre 355 millimetre diameter pipeline. The processing facility receives a mixture of condensate, crude oil, propane and butane which is processed in distillation towers and molecular sieves to produce various products. These products, such as naphtha, crude oil, propane and butane, are stored in large tanks before being shipped to customers. Port Bonython incorporates a 2.4 kilometre jetty for loading of tankers as well as road tanker loading facilities. Approximately 30 ships per year are loaded, with a maximum size tanker of 110,000 tonnes capacity. The majority of LPG produced (approx 70%) is exported via the ship loading facility.
The central processing plant comprises:
- pipeline terminal (stream rate and composition measurement)
- pre-fractionation heaters
- ethane distillation tower (plant fuel generation)
- de-propaniser distillation tower
- propane molecular sieve to remove sulphur and water
- de-butaniser distillation tower
- butane molecular sieve to remove sulphur and water
- naphtha distillation tower
- propane/butane chillers
- LPG pressurised bullets
- crude and condensate bulk storage
- propane and butane bulk storage.
Menard Bachy Pty Ltd was engaged by Santos Ltd to undertake construction of the perimeter barrier (cut off wall) at the Santos Port Bonython site. The barrier wall is aligned adjacent to and sub-parallel to the ocean shoreline over a length of about 450m and is required to extend to a typical depth of 6-7 m below initial surface level. The scope of works included the pre-excavation along the wall alignment through extremely high strength, abrasive sandstone, progressive backfilling and reexcavation under cement bentonite slurry, installation of a capping beam spanning the trench, the tracking and burial of contaminated spoil and finally reinstating the site to natural contour levels.
Operators:
Santos: Operator with 66.6% interest
Delhi Petroleum Pty Ltd (subsidiary of Beach Energy): 20.2% interest
Origin: 13.2% interest
Contractors:
Baulderstone: Refurbishment of the Port Bonython
Menard Bachy Pty Ltd: Undertake construction of the perimeter barrier (cut off wall)