In 2005 Chevron at Barrow Island began to develop the proposed last 6 oil wells allowed at that time to move forward. Kimberly waters were nominated to drill the 24-inch spud holes to suit the workover rig to continue and complete the wells as required.

 

This site is known as the Gorgon Project. It is one of the world's largest natural gas projects. With a total production capacity of about 2.6 billion cubic feet of natural gas and 20,000 barrels of condensate per day, the Gorgon Project will be an important pillar of the Australian economy for decades to come. Unlocking this energy puts Australia in a prime position to meet future demand and provide a clean-burning fuel, both at home and overseas.

 

This required much pre works to be done on all drilling equipment, as the Island is covered by an environmental heritage certificate with the Western Australian Government. All equipment needed to be stripped down completely overhauled and cleaned spotless to be allowed on the Island. This preparation and inspection were completed within two months of work time.

 

All equipment was placed on a barge in the Karratha Port, then shipped to the island for further inspection before unloading. This island is considered to be the strictest island in Australian waters.

 

Mid May we set up on our first site after many exams and certificates, we commenced on schedule. All of the work on the 5 holes went as planned, with the cement grouting being completed with success. The sixth site was considered the hardest to complete as a major void was encountered at 22 meters, the suggestion was to fill this void with cement and re-drill through to complete. After 14 truckloads of 11 cubic meters per truck, we ran a 24-inch casing and placed a cement plus in of 3 meters, hoping this would suffice and secure the hole for further drilling.

 

The program took 20 weeks to complete, all equipment was mobilized back to the mainland for continued works. Dallas Sheppard, held the position of Operations Manager on the island, under the guidance of the company man of Chevron, all works were completed with one injury, no lost days and under budget.