British company studies natural gas project in East Timor

The government of East Timor has selected London firm Amex Foster Wheeler to conduct an engineering study for the Beacu project, which involves a liquefied natural gas processing plant in the south of the country.
Considered by sector officials in Timor-Leste to be one of the most important projects for the development of the country, Beacu, which will cover an area of between 250 and 300 hectares, has been the focus of so-called Pre-FEED and FEED engineering studies and others since 2008.
In this case the USD3.8 million contract for the Pre-FEED design includes concept studies, technical design, construction and contracting strategies, project implementation plans, cost and timing estimates.
Amex Foster Wheeler said all the work would be carried out by its team based in Malaysia and “in close consultation with Timor Gap” the Timorese oil company that is responsible for the Tasi Mane Project, which includes three development areas along 155 kilometers of the southern coast of the country.
This project includes the Beaçu unit, which will be the base to supply Suai and the Betano refinery.
Preliminary studies (conceptual and feasibility studies) indicate an estimated cost of USD4.36 billion for the liquefied natural gas processing unit, with a margin of error of around 50 percent.
The liquefied natural gas unit is the “heart” of the whole project, which also includes a pipeline and maritime infrastructure. At this unit the gas carried through the pipeline is cooled to -162 degrees Celsius, reducing the volume by 600 times and making it easier to store and transport.  MDT/Macauhub