surat basin coal tenements, page-3

JV secures new Gladstone coal export terminal project
http://www.qbr.com.au/news/articleid/76274.aspx


October 5, 2011

An Abigroup joint venture has secured a $290 million project to build part of a new coal export terminal to increase the amount of coal exported through the Port of Gladstone in Queensland.

In a 50-50 joint venture with Golding Contractors, Abigroup will carry out significant bulk earthworks and civil works for the new Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal facility (WICET), which will be located immediately to the west of the existing RG Tanna Coal Terminal in Gladstone Harbour.

Abigroup’s Queensland General Manager Steve Abson says the major new project forms a key part of a new coal export supply chain for existing and future Queensland coal producers in the Surat and Bowen basins.

“This project provides great continuity for our people and resources currently constructing the Port of Gladstone Western Basin expansion where we established one of the largest quarries in Queensland and constructed 8km of seawall bunds,” he says.

Stage one of the new coal export terminal is designed for a 27 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) throughput and includes a rail receival facility, a 5.5km overland conveyor, coal stockyard, access roads and bridges, a 2km jetty and a single berth coal loading wharf.

The joint venture’s scope of work includes:

bulk earthworks (approx 3.5 million m3 including rock)
piled foundations (approx 75,000 m3 concrete and 2,000 piles)
reclamation bunds (approx 6km)
terminal access road (approx 3km) and drainage
reclaim tunnels (4 x 950m long) and service tunnels (2 x 230m long)
gantry rail and foundation beams
construction of sheet piled barge wharf.

The new coal export terminal will have more than 80 mtpa capacity when fully developed and WICET is completing expansion studies to meet the significant demand from coal exporters in the region.

Work will begin shortly on the project and it is due to be completed by June 2013.