Jobs flow from major Shell gas project

Shell has announced plans to drill 250 new gas wells in the next two years as part of the QGC venture in the Western Downs region. Project Goog-a-binge - a local Indigenous word for scrub turkey - is expected to create up to 350 jobs and generate business opportunities for local suppliers. The wells will connect to existing QGC gas processing plants and will bring approximately 930 petajoules of gas to market over the next three decades. Shell Australia chairman Zoe Yujnovich said Project Goog-a-binge would further boost Queensland’s regional economy and demonstrated Shell’s commitment to bring more gas to market. “The project is expected to create or sustain up to 350 jobs, the majority of which will be in regional Queensland and generate business opportunities for local suppliers – a substantial and ongoing boost for the local economy,” she said. The development is subject to satisfying Federal and State Government regulatory approvals. In the first half of 2018, Shell has already spent $140 million in Toowoomba and Surat Basin communities on goods and services supporting its existing operations. The company supplies about 60 per cent of Queensland’s domestic gas demand through QGC and Arrow Energy. Queensland Mines Minister Dr Anthony Lynham today welcomed the announcement of Project Goog-a-binge. “Queensland is the nation’s energy powerhouse, and we continue to do the heavy lifting on gas production and policy,” he said. "This latest expansion plan will help ensure sustained gas supply to domestic customers as well as royalties to fund frontline services across the state. “Most importantly, it will pump millions of dollars into local household budgets, local stores and local businesses for the next 30 years." Project Goog-a-binge will bring about 930 petajoules of gas to market over the next 30 years for its domestic and export customers. Dr Lynham encouraged local businesses to register online with EconomX, where the project and its contractors will seek expressions of interest for work packages. “I understand QGC has already engaged three Chinchilla-based fabrication contractors for the project and just a couple of weeks ago I was in Toowoomba announcing that Easternwell had won a multi-million dollar, five-year contract with QGC,” he said. “Ongoing investment in Queensland’s $70 billion gas industry shows the policy settings are right." QGC is due to start pre-construction and site preparation activities at some sites next month, with wells to start being drilled from January 2019 through to December 2019, subject to government approvals.

Jobs flow from major Shell gas project

Industry Queensland

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