The Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson AM MP, today turned the first sod at a ceremony to mark the commencement of construction of Australia's largest ever resources project, the $43 billion Gorgon gas project.
Gorgon will generate $300 billion in export revenue and create up to 10,000 direct and indirect jobs during peak construction.
The Australian Government congratulates the joint venture partners, Chevron, Shell, and ExxonMobil, for working in partnership with the Rudd Government and bringing the massive Gorgon fields into commercial development.
Located on Barrow Island in northern Western Australia, the Gorgon project will help underpin Australia's future economic and energy security, generating economic growth, jobs, and prosperity for decades to come.
Gorgon will create 3,500 ongoing jobs and purchase more than $30 billion in Australian goods & services. Already more than $15 billion worth of contracts have been let, generating jobs and boosting the economy, including:
- The design and construction of the 2.1 kilometre Gorgon LNG Jetty,
- The design, manufacture, delivery and commission of a 3,300-bed Gorgon construction village; and
- A waterfront roll-on/roll-off ferry terminal and wharf facilities.
Gorgon will also generate $40 billion in tax revenue, which will fund schools, hospitals, roads and infrastructure for decades to come.
Importantly, Gorgon will be the world's largest Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) project and will help Australia contribute to the G8's goal of having 20 industrial-scale CCS sites operating by 2020. The Gorgon project will store up to 4 million tonnes of CO2 a year, an amount comparable to all the CO2 geologically stored every year globally at present.
Gorgon will also underpin energy security in our region and bolster Australia's reputation as a reliable Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) supplier. Almost $150 billion of Gorgon gas has already been sold to buyers in India, China, South Korea and Japan. Global demand for LNG is forecast to triple by 2030 as developed and developing nations look to increase use of the lower-emission transition fuel.