Bechtel said the tests confirmed the tanks built for the Origin-led Australia Pacific LNG project and the Santos-operated Gladstone LNG project could store LNG.

It followed the successful testing of an LNG storage tank for the BG-operated Queensland Curtis LNG project earlier this year.

“The LNG tanks are not only one of the most visible and complex parts of these plants, they are also among the most critical components to ensure long-term production success for our customers," Bechtel LNG general manager Alasdair Cathcart said.

"Verifying the safety and integrity of the tanks is just one of the many steps we take in our disciplined approach to delivering our customers world-class quality projects."

Bechtel said each of the QCLNG and GLNG tanks were capable of holding more than 140,000 cubic metres of LNG while the APLNG tanks could each hold 160,000cu.m.

Hydro testing the tanks can take 2-4 weeks with the pumped in water needing to be held for at least 24 hours while tests are carried out.

“Once testing is complete, it takes about five days to empty the tanks,” Bechtel said.

The testing verifies that each tank can hold its design capacity of LNG at minus 161C.

QCLNG is ahead of the other two Curtis Island-based projects, with first production expected in late 2014.