Arup will prepare concept design and tender documentation, which will lead to the tender process for the tunnel鈥檚 construction contract.
The tunnel is for Arrow鈥檚 multibillion dollar liquefied natural gas (LNG) project on Curtis Island, off Gladstone in central Queensland, Australia. It will transport CSG from Gladstone to the Arrow LNG Plant on the island. The tunnel to Curtis Island will be one of the longest offshore tunnels in Queensland and will take approximately three and a half years to build and fit out.
Conceptual design will be carried out by Arup鈥檚 Brisbane office. The tunnel will have a 4m internal diameter and house high-pressure gas pipeline and other utility services.
Arrow Energy chief executive officer Andrew Faulkner said that Arup would begin work immediately on the tunnel鈥檚 design and specifications. 鈥淭he tunnel will have a smaller footprint than if we were to construct a pipeline on the seafloor,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here will be entrance and exit points, but no overwater construction.鈥�
The tunnel will be excavated approximately 35m beneath the Gladstone Harbour seabed, with the entrance located in Gladstone鈥檚 Yarwun area and the exit at the southern end of Curtis Island. The entire route runs through stable rock. 鈥淎ustralia has a number of experienced tunnelling contractors so we are confident the tunnel will be built to the highest standard,鈥� said Faulkner.
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