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Wilhelmsen Ships Service is to provide a range of support services to the Gorgon project, Australia's largest ever oil and gas project, including bunkering.

The company will be providing agency, logistics and bunkering support to the offshore accommodation vessel MS Finnmarken which houses a 350-strong workforce for the project.

Operated by Hurtigruten, the Finnmarken is a Norwegian owned cruise vessel, whose on board residents are mainly dredging crew. The vessel is moored near to Barrow Island which is the site of the Gorgon Project's gas plant construction.

"Wilhelmsen Ships Service is providing a wide range of capabilities across all of our business streams," explained Nicholas Berry, Account Manager for Wilhelmsen Ships Service in Australia. "Supporting the Finnmarken is the most significant ongoing work we've had on the project to date."

In addition to coordinating bunkering operations for Hurtigruten, the scope of work will include making advance arrangements for berthing, unberthing and arranging timely booking of port services to optimise berthing and sailing windows.

Wilhelmsen Ships Service will also appoint linesmen and any other port services as required, assist with Customs, quarantine and security requirements, and arrange and liaise with surveyors as required by the customer, including P&I surveys. The company will additionally book stevedore labourers, liaise with stevedores during discharge operations, ensure payment of port disbursements and arrange the renting equipment required by Hurtigruten from third party suppliers.

The company will also obtain and arrange safe dispatch of stores and supplies, effect repairs and engage third party contractors. It will arrange delivery of cash to the Master when required, see to crew change assistance for the Hurtigruten crew and ensure a smooth delivery of spare parts on board, including its clearance and transportation.

The Gorgon Project is developing the Greater Gorgon Area gas fields, located about 130 kilometres off the north-west coast of Western Australia. It includes the construction of a 15 million tonne per annum LNG plant on Barrow Island and a domestic gas plant with the capacity to provide 300 terajoules per day to supply gas to Western Australia.

Gorgon LNG will be offloaded via a four kilometre long loading jetty for transport to international markets. The domestic gas will be piped to the Western Australian mainland.