Tour of Woodside's NW Shelf Gas Project at Karratha

2/4/95

Premier Richard Court and Federal Opposition Leader John Howard toured Woodside Offshore Petroleum Pty Ltd's North West Shelf Gas Project at Karratha today.

The tour included a visit to the offshore Goodwyn A Platform, where Mr Court presented a plaque commemorating the commissioning of the platform and an unprecedented level of safety maintained during the completion phase.

"A million man-hours were worked without a lost-time injury during the completion phase of the platform, setting a new world standard in safety performance," he said.

More than 640 people from four major construction groups worked simultaneously on the platform and the accommodation support vessel during the offshore completion phase.

Mr Court presented a second plaque during a ceremony at the North West Shelf Gas Project later in the day in recognition of the safety record.

"Safety issues are of paramount importance in this industry and to achieve this number of manhours without an accident is an outstanding effort," he said.

"It is a tribute to the meticulous safety precautions and procedures in place at both the LNG plant and the Goodwyn A platform.

"It is also a tribute to the efforts of personnel to ensure their own safety and that of their colleagues."

The Goodwyn A was the second offshore production facility developed for the North West Shelf Gas Project.

Gas and condensate from the Goodwyn A will complement production from the project's first platform, North Rankin A, which came into production in 1984.

"The Goodwyn A platform is a state-of-the-art facility incorporating the very latest in offshore production technology and safety," the Premier said.

"It completes the infrastructure needed to meet the North West Shelf Project's 20-year contractual commitments with its WA and Japanese customers.

"Western Australia's offshore petroleum industry is continually growing, and, as it gathers further momentum, we cannot afford to be complacent over safety issues.

"While the industry in WA has a good safety record, it is still very much a new frontier of remote Australia and there is always potential for serious accidents to occur.

"Only the best efforts of both oil and gas producing companies and employees will continue to ensure this somewhat hazardous occupation is made as safe as possible."

The offshore petroleum industry in WA currently employs about 2,500 people and petroleum production in this State accounted for $1,799 million in overseas exports in 1993-94.