AJ Lucas today announced  that it had executed a contract with Chevron Australia Pty Ltd for the shore crossings to connect the upstream facilities for the Gorgon Project to the onshore infrastructure on Barrow Island.

Valued at approximately A$95 million, the contract comprises the construction of nine holes using horizontal directional drilling emerging in the region of 400 metres offshore.

The construction methodology is expected to minimise any environmental impact. AJ Lucas will be ordering two new rigs to conduct the work in order to minimise the risk of any local contamination. The equipment will also be soundproofed to further reduce any impact on the local fauna and marine life. Engineering work has already commenced with site works expected to start in May 2010.

Mr Allan Campbell, chief executive officer of AJ Lucas, said: "We are particularly pleased and proud to have been selected to provide the shore crossings. Lucas prides itself on its horizontal directional drilling capability to minimise any environmental footprint.

"Our commitment to achieving this is reflected in our ordering of two totally new rigs to minimise the risk of contamination."

To service the contract and Lucas' other project activities in Western Australia, AJ Lucas has also recently opened an office in West Perth.

The Gorgon Project is a joint venture between the Australian subsidiaries of Chevron (Operator), ExxonMobil and Shell, to develop the Greater Gorgon gas fields, located between 130km and 200km off the orth-west coast of Western Australia. The Greater Gorgon gas fields contain resources of about 40 trillion cubic feet of gas, Australia's largest-known gas resource.