Aconex Limited says that Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. Ltd. (JAPEX) is using the Aconex platform to manage construction of its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal. Project deliverables consist of a cargo ship berth, a massive storage tank and a connecting pipeline for LNG.

The pipeline will transfer vaporized gas from the terminal in Soma Port to a main trunk pipeline. The estimated project value is US$500 million, and the three-year delivery schedule is accelerated compared to other LNG terminal projects.

The Soma LNG terminal will store and vaporize LNG to be offloaded from large ocean-going tankers docked at the new cargo ship berth in Soma Port. The 40-kilometer pipeline will convey the vaporized gas from the terminal to the JAPEX Niigata-Sendai Pipeline. Plans for the terminal include measures to protect all facilities from the effects of earthquakes and tsunamis.

Project Collaboration and Support in Japanese

One of the reasons that JAPEX chose Aconex to manage the complex project is the platform’s ability to process documents, correspondence and workflows in Japanese. Collaboration on the project in Japanese is essential, because four different locations in Japan are involved ‒ Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, and Soma ‒ all hundreds of kilometers apart. Another key reason for the selection of Aconex was the strength of its on-the-ground support team in Japan.

It took only a month to configure the Aconex platform and get the project up and running. Training requirements were minimal, since the project participants ‒ including engineers, consultants, subcontractors, design firms, and multiple joint venture participants ‒ already had a working familiarity with Aconex.

Tags: Aconex Limited, Japan Petroleum Explorration Co.