Capabilities & Projects
The leader in pipeline construction, associated facilities and Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD), servicing the energy, resources and utilities sectors.
Spiecapag has completed some of the most challenging pipeline construction projects in the world, and these have been achieved by continually pushing the boundaries of construction techniques through innovative design and systematic construction techniques. We maintain fleets of specialised equipment, specifically designed to safely build pipelines in some of the most challenging environments on earth.
Services we offer
- Construction of onshore pipelines and associated facilities for the energy, resources and utilities sectors
- Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) trenchless installations
- Pipeline repair and replacement
- HV Power and Communication cable installation (on shore + shore crossing)
- Procurement and logistics to regional and remote sites
- Design, routing and constructability studies.
View or download our full Capability Statement.
What our clients have said
”Spiecapag delivered an area of the upstream infrastructure without a single safety incident, overcoming various challenges in a complex project environment. Spiecapag repeatedly demonstrated their experience as an expert pipeline constructor, with strong local management and safety processes, working alongside other contractors.”
Andrew Down, Project Manager – Trunklines, QCLNG Project for BG Group/Shell
“Jemena found Spiecapag Australia to be experienced and skillful in the delivery of the works, particularly in light of the mountainous and challenging terrain. They worked co-operatively with us in all areas, including overcoming some significant project challenges that were not of their making. They achieved very good productivities with low rework required through the job.Spiecapag were very focused on working with the local stakeholders and delivered against the project commitments for time, cost and importantly for us our local commitments for indigenous jobs and contracts. All stakeholders were very positive about their performance during the project. Through the performance of the works they demonstrated a good safety performance, with a very supportive management focus and no LTIs.
The terrain required a high level of attention to the rehabilitation of the ROW to minimise future impacts, and the level of reinstatement was excellent. We would definitely consider Spiecapag for any future work we have.”
Paul Bilston, Pipeline Project Manager – Northern Gas Pipeline Project
ONGOING PROJECTS
Kurri Kurri Lateral Pipeline & Facilities Project
Client: APA Group
Location: Kurri Kurri, New South Wales
To be completed in: 2025
The Kurri Kurri Project is a buried gas transmission pipeline and storage pipeline that will connect the proposed Hunter Power Project at Kurri Kurri, near Newcastle in New South Wales, to the existing Sydney to Newcastle pipeline. This is a complex suburban project that will require seven HDDs, eight thrust bores, nine creek crossings and associated facilities works alongside conventional trenching techniques. As the main contractor, Spiecapag will deliver three main components:
- A 14-inch medium-pressure (up to 6.9MPa) Lateral Pipeline consisting of approximately 21km of DN350 carbon steel pipe and one Main Line Valve assembly connecting the Jemena Gas Network offtake facility to the compressor station.
- A 42-inch high-pressure (up to 15.3MPa) Storage Pipeline consisting of approximately 24km of DN1050, carbon steel pipe located downstream of the Kurri Kurri Storage Station. The pipeline will have approximately 100TJ of gas storage capacity and will supply the Hunter Power Station.
- A 14-inch high-pressure (up to 15.3 MPa) Interconnecting Pipeline consisting of approximately 1.3km of DN350, carbon steel pipe connecting the Kurri Kurri Storage Station to the Kurri Kurri Storage Pipeline.
Jansz-Io Compression Project
Client: Chevron
Location: Barrow Island, Western Australia
To be completed in: 2025
The Jansz-Io Project is a life extension activity, providing compression to the Jansz-Io gas field to maximise recovery from the reservoir and maintain plateau supply to the Gorgon LNG plant. The Jansz-Io field is located approximately 130km north-west of Barrow Island in Western Australia in water depths of approximately 1350m.
Spiecapag has been contracted to install, by way of Horizontal Directional Drilling, three 550m shore approaches consisting of DN630 HDPE to house umbilical cables, including two onshore trenches to facilitate umbilical pull-in and cut-over to existing infrastructure.
The project scope also includes civil works on the North-West of Barrow Island to construct the HDD pad, lay-down area, seawall, anchorage and seawater supply for drilling; onshore trenching and excavation, installation of pre-cast concrete and assisting with umbilical pull-in; as well as rehabilitation works/reinstatement.
Lihir Ground Stabilisation Project – MOSA JV
Client: Newmont
Location: Lihir Island, Papua New Guinea
To be completed in: 2025
The Lihir Ground Stabilisation Project is a first-of-a-kind, and highly technical project undertaken in partnership with Spiecapag’s sister company, Menard Oceania. It consists of securing a benched retaining wall with cabled strength anchors in a geothermally active environment to enable mining operations to continue in the area. There are five benches to be stabilised with a total of 2,900 holes to be drilled in and rock anchors to be installed. The overall retaining wall will reach 125m in height and 500m at its widest point.
PAST PROJECTS
Western Outer Ring Main Project
Client: APA Group
Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Completed in: 2024
The Western Outer Ring Main project is a high-pressure, buried gas transmission pipeline, which provides a new connection between pre-existing pipelines at Plumpton in Melbourne’s west and Wollert in the north. The project also included an upgrade to the existing compressor station at Wollert.
As the main contractor, Spiecapag delivered the construction of the 51km DN500 high-pressure steel pipeline – with external epoxy coating, partially laid in existing easement (approximately 8km, Wollert to Wodonga Pipeline) and the rest in greenfield easement.
Following extensive consultation with landowners, occupiers and other stakeholders, the final alignment was selected to minimise impacts. The topography of the route was generally flat; however, there were several very steep gullies at creek crossings. The project included 3km of trenchless crossing including seven HDDs (six of them major waterway crossings) and twelve bores.
This project mobilised 300 staff, 75% originating from the project area. 80% of the equipment procured also originated from the Melbourne area.
Kewdale White Oil Line Project
Client: NEWest Alliance
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Completed in: 2023
The Kewdale While Oil Line (KWOL) project entailed the relocation of a 13km pipeline from BP’s Kwinana refinery to the Kewdale Freight Terminal of Perth Airport, a requirement arising from the Thornlie Cockburn Link railway project.
Spiecapag was contracted for detailed design and construction of the new DN300 oil pipeline to be installed through Perth’s southern suburbs. A congested construction corridor (<5m wide) as well as proximity to local residences led to a concept design with over 90% of the pipeline to be installed using HDD bores.
Over 12km of the pipeline was constructed using the HDD method across eleven crossings, eight of which exceeded 1km. Each crossing was complex in nature, affected by adjacent railway activities, magnetic interference, limited work area and challenging geology. This was one of the largest HDD projects completed in a single pipeline in Australia.
Simberi Deep-Sea Tailing Pipeline
Client: Saint Barbara Gold Mine
Location: Papua New Guinea
Completed in: 2022
Saint Barbara Gold contracted Spiecapag for the renewal of their 500m+ DN1000 HDPE Deep Sea Tailings Pipeline and their seawater intake pipeline. The pipeline had been in service since 2007 and ran from the process facility in Pigiput Bay south-east out to the seabed. Initially our scope involved welding the new pipeline, stringing and fitting ballast to allow the mine to restart operations, however due to a new bathymetric survey, the alignment was radically redesigned.
The new alignment increased the complexity of the scope and we provided custom designed and fabricated new restraining and support mounts. We worked with St Barbara to develop a new solution and were able to continue the replacement operations without significant delay.
The new pipeline and route included several turns and many more ballast blocks required additional towing capacity. Spiecapag co-ordinated the increase in scope and managed the towing and final sinking utilising six vessels.
Channel Island Bridge Pipeline
Client: APA Group
Location: Darwin, Northern Territory
Completed in: 2021
This project required the installation of a 1.4km DN300 pipeline via HDD between Channel Island, where the Channel Island Power Station is located and the Darwin mainline. The HDD crossing under the waterway was completed through varying geology up to 250MPa rock strength. The profile was very complex with a compound curve arrangement completed to minimum pipe bending radius during the last 400m of the crossing.
Works included modifications to existing station piping at Darwin City Gate and the Channel Island Meter Station facilities to install pig launching and receiver facilities along with gas filtration and an upgrade to monitoring instrumentation.
Mardi to Warnervale Water Pipeline
Client: Central Coast Council
Location: New South Wales
Completed in: 2021
The $39 million Mardi to Warnervale Project comprised the construction of an 8.9km DN1000 water pipeline from the Mardi Water Treatment Plant to Sparks Road in Warnervale; crossing road reserves, council land, private land and sensitive environmental areas demanding the use of trenchless technologies.
The Mardi to Warnervale Pipeline was made up of a multitude of intricate engineering projects split into twenty-three different sections. Key to this success was drawing from the joint venture’s strengths such as the pipeline expertise and experience of Spiecapag, trenching and HDD activities of their subsidiary HDI Lucas, along with Seymour Whyte’s experience in subcontractor management, roadwork, brownfield roadworks, traffic control covering the thrust bore, civil and structural activities.
The project was key to securing the future water needs of the Central Coast community. It will service projected expansion in the major northern growth corridor including Warnervale Town Centre and surrounding greenfield subdivision sites. It will also enhance bulk water transfers between the Central Coast and the Hunter Region, enabling better planning for future water resourcing and helping both regions better manage potential future drought conditions.
View the Mardi to Warnervale Pipeline Project video here: tinyurl.com/y88kynpr
Atlas Lateral Pipeline
Client: Jemena
Location: Surat Basin, Queensland
Completed in: 2019
In the wake of the successful Northern Gas Pipeline Project, Spiecapag was invited by Jemena to participate in the early-stage development of the Atlas Project. This included providing constructability input on the design to enable the client to optimise the pipeline route and construction timeline.
In just five months Spiecapag delivered 60km of DN200 high-pressure steel gas pipeline, connecting the new Atlas compression station to the existing Jemena’s Darling Downs Pipeline. Our mainline construction crews were able to average 2.5km/day, while maintaining the highest standards of safety and quality. Construction of the pipeline required thirty-eight watercourse crossings, seventeen live service crossing and five road crossings using a variety of techniques such as HDD, Auger Bore and traditional open cut trenching.
As principal contractor, Spiecapag was responsible for all construction aspects of the project – including survey, clear & grade, pipe handling, trenching, welding, lowering in, testing and rehabilitation. Construction of the pipeline required 38 special crossings (including 16 live gas pipelines and 4 roads) which were completed safely and efficiently by our dedicated crews.
Phillip Creek Compressor Station Interconnectors
Client: Jemena
Location: Northern Territory
Completed in: 2019
Spiecapag constructed the interconnectors required to complete the final tie-in works at the Phillip Creek Compressor Station. The scope included installation of the 100m interconnect line from the compressor to the APA Amadeus Gas Pipeline (AGP) and 150m interconnect line to the newly installed Northern Gas Pipeline (NGP). The scope also included above-ground pipework and the fabrication of pipe storage racks.
Northern Gas Pipeline
Client: Jemena
Location: Queensland
Completed in: 2018
Spiecapag was contracted to deliver the 143km DN300 diameter steel gas pipeline and associated crossings, civil and mechanical works for the Queensland section of the NGP Project. The scope of work included a start of line receipt/compressor station, three Main Line Valve (MLV) facilities along the pipeline, an end of line delivery station, and five cathodic protection stations.
Due to land access restrictions at the Mount Isa (Eastern) end of the pipeline, Spiecapag was required to perform the works from west to east. This involved a full camp and laydown area to be constructed beforehand. The camp mobilisation and construction schedule was critical and Spiecapag pulled out all the stops to ensure this was performed in an expedient manner.
The project was originally planned to be built around the wet season, with 93km scheduled to be completed before the wet season, and the remainder as part as a remobilisation in March. Due to early access and high productivity rates, Spiecapag safely completed all mainline construction activities prior to the Christmas period, avoiding the need for the 2nd mobilisation in March.
Working in a remote part of Queensland, Spiecapag engaged extensively with local businesses, including indigenous communities, where job-specific training was delivered, leading to 24% of our workforce coming from indigenous communities.
Victorian Northern Interconnect Expansion
Client: APA Group
Location: New South Wales & Victoria
Completed in: 2018
Spiecapag was awarded the contract for the construction of 165km of domestic gas looping pipelines comprising 95km of DN400 pipe in Victoria and 70km of DN450 pipe in NSW. Crossing hundreds of rural and semi-rural properties, the project included seven loops spread over 500km, two of which were in NSW and five in Victoria. The entire pipeline was constructed within the easement of an existing live high-pressure pipeline. Detailed engineering analysis was undertaken, and strict processes put in place to guaranty the integrity of the existing line throughout the project.
As the loops were spread over 500km, three offices and logistics yard were established in Young (NSW), Wangaratta (VIC), and in Cootamundra (NSW).
The full scope of the works included six Main Line Valves, scraper stations, pig launcher, receivers associated pipe supports, civils works and E&I works in the facilities compounds, eleven tie-ins, four railway crossings, and thirty-eight HDD road crossings.
Eastern Goldfields Pipeline
Client: APA Group
Location: Western Australia
Completed in: 2015
293km of gas pipeline across the Great Victorian Desert from Murrin Murrin to two offtakes, one at KP83 and the second at KP293 in a region 12-hour drive north-east of Perth.
Spiecapag’s scope of work included all construction elements of the gas pipeline from clear and grade to re-instatement. The works included operating multiple workfronts, each delivering 5km of productivity per day on average to achieve project schedule. The project was delivered early at both off take points, enabling early commissioning and gas up of the pipeline, with no time lost due to injuries (LTIFR = 0). Proactive environmental practices on the project resulted in the team being awarded industry environment awards for excellent fauna management.
PNG LNG
Client: ExxonMobil
Location: Papua New Guinea
Completed in: 2014
The PNG LNG Project was a major project designed to develop gas and liquid hydrocarbon resources located in the Hides region, in the Southern highlands of PNG.
Over five years, Spiecapag was involved in the design, procurement and construction phases, delivering over 450km of onshore pipelines that transport natural gas from the Hides Gas Conditioning Plant (HGCP) to the Omati River where it connects to the offshore pipeline and the condensate product from HGCP to Kutubu CPF.
The scope of the work included a gas main line of 266km of DN800, 27km of DN860, 2km of DN300 and 10km of DN250 of gas pipelines, as well as 109km of DN200 condensate pipeline. These were built through some of the most varied and challenging terrain imaginable and at a time when there was no supporting infrastructure or road networks in PNG.
Trunklines Northern Pipeline
Client: BG Group/Shell
Location: Queensland
Completed in: 2014
Spiecapag completed the construction of 51km of gas pipelines (DN350, DN400 and DN500); 167km of buried high-voltage cables; 23km of water trunkline (DN600, MSCL); and 84km of fibre optic cable as part of the upstream portion of works for the larger QCLNG project.
The project was a brownfield development, and the construction was made more complex by the high number of trenches in the same working width: one particular stretch of right of way had seven trenches running in parallel which gave rise to challenges with work area management and simultaneous operations.
The project successfully delivered one hundred and fifty-five crossings of road, water courses, or existing pipelines, with forty-five special crossings carried out under strict permit-to-work conditions. Mid-line isolation valve assemblies, above ground pressure regulating stations (including duty and standby runs, isolation valves, drain valves, pressure indicators, pressure transmitters, and solar powered RTU’s), high point vents and scour outlets were installed by dedicated crews or subcontractors directly managed by Spiecapag.
The water pipeline was completed with zero defects, and all seven hydrotest sections passed at the first test. Most importantly, the project was completed with zero incidents and a TRIFR of 0.00, thanks to the implementation of project-specific safety initiatives developed in house. The project was recognised with awards for its safety performance.
Subsidiaries and branches
Recent or undergoing projects