TWENTY contract workers at a construction site for a multi-billion dollar project in the Gladstone region were told to down tools late Friday afternoon.
A contractor, on the Fishermans Landing liquid natural gas (LNG) site, spoke on condition he not be named. He told The Observer that workers were told after 5pm Friday to stop all work and demobilise, meaning they would have to get all machinery off site.
He said it would take up to two weeks for machinery to be dismantled, moved off site and back to the relevant companys base.
We dont know what is going on, the contractor said.
We dont understand why weve been told to stop.
We are taking 100-plus tonnes from Cement Australia a day. We have had to tell them to stop supplying us.
Fuel, steel and other construction material suppliers would also be affected. The contractor said 23-25 personnel on site worked for two companies. Laing ORourke was the main contractor with Wagstaff Piling a sub-contractor.
The Observer has reported two industry giants, Shell and PetroChina, made a joint $3.3 billion bid for Queensland coal seam gas producer Arrow Energy as consolidation in Gladstones burgeoning liquefied natural gas export industry steps up.
Arrow is to buy the $2b Fishermans Landing LNG project from LNG Ltd. Shell owned 30 per cent of Arrows CSG ground at time of the bid and was planning its own LNG plant on Curtis Island.
The Observer was unable to contact Arrow, Shell or the contractors at time of print yesterday.
Gladstone Observer
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