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Worley said in a statement on Wednesday that it has been appointed by New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) as Client Engineer and Technical Advisor for the country’s LNG import terminal.
Under the contract, Worley will support MBIE through the procurement and delivery phases of the LNG import terminal by providing independent technical advice, specification development, and engineering guidance.
This includes helping shape the project’s technical foundations, supporting a transparent and robust procurement process, and offering proportionate technical assurance during delivery to help MBIE manage key risks and maintain project progress.
Worley’s support will scale in line with the programme’s needs, from early procurement activities through to execution and commissioning readiness.
The Australian firm noted it brings extensive experience in LNG import terminals, regasification, FSRU developments, and marine infrastructure, including first-of-a-kind projects delivered in challenging environmental and regulatory settings.
This capability is supported by specialist input from New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and the United Kingdom, ensuring MBIE has access to both local insight and global technical depth.
The project demands clear, decision‑ready technical advice to support MBIE through procurement and delivery, Worley said.
Worley did not provide the pricing details of the contract.
New Zealand aims to pick LNG contractor by middle of this year
New Zealand’s Energy Minister Simon Watts recently said that the government has shortlisted “leading proposals and is progressing to commercial contracting, with the aim of signing a contract by mid-2026.”
The facility could be operational as soon as 2027 or early 2028.
In 2024, New Zealand’s government revealed plans to start importing LNG, with options including the former Marsden Point oil refinery, the Port of Taranaki, and an offshore option.
The government announced last year that it plans to launch a formal procurement process for an LNG import facility, as the country’s energy system is facing a fuel shortage, brought about in part through a faster-than-expected decline in domestic natural gas reserves.
MBIE, on behalf of the New Zealand government, released a registration of interest (ROI) and a project information memorandum (PIM) for LNG import facility services in October 2025.
MBIE’s LNG Project Team said at the time that “it may be that the best solution to deploy is an FSRU, or it might be that an FSU with onshore regasification facilities is best.”
