Progress at Cameron LNG

Nearly a year since construction began at the 275-acre, industrially zoned site along the Calcasieu Ship Channel, Cameron LNG's receipt terminal is on a steady course toward completion, despite Hurricane Rita's fury last September.

Once completed, Cameron LNG's three natural gas storage tanks will stand about 18 stories tall.

With approximately 250 workers and a five-day work-week schedule starting at 7 a.m. and ending around 5 p.m., the project is

20 percent complete and on schedule.

Construction site manager Alan Zachary and his staff oversee the development of the Cameron LNG project. "It is our responsibility to look after Sempra LNG's interest and to ensure the facility is constructed in accordance with all permits and contractual specifications," explains Zachary.

Aker Kvaerner/IHI (AK/IHI) serves as the project's engineering, procurement and construction contractor and manages both the construction and the subcontractors working on the terminal. "We work hand-in-hand with AK/IHI and their very dedicated management team," says Zachary. "The progress on this terminal has been amazing."

Traveling along Highway 27, the construction efforts can be seen as the terminal site is built into a state-ofthe- art facility. About 1,450 concrete pilings were placed 90 feet below ground to form the base of each of the three tanks that will store minus-260 degree Fahrenheit liquefied natural gas.

Dredging the berth area where LNG tankers will offload is scheduled to begin this month and will be completed by mid-February next year. Once complete, nearly 45 feet of dredged material will have been removed from the 2,000-foot-wide area, providing the needed space for two unloading docks.

Possible traffic delays
Safety is a top priority at the Cameron LNG site, and keeping the public aware of major construction events and potential traffic delays is important to Zachary and his team. "Communication with the community is key," says Zachary. "Our commitment is to make sure the public is aware of our busiest construction times and when we'll have a lot of traffic coming and going from the site's plant entrance so that we can keep everyone safe on Highway 27."

The busiest times at the site entrance are around 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., so expect potential traffic delays near these hours. It is also the project team's intent to notify the public when major deliveries are scheduled that could potentially pose traffic delays.