Wheatstone will produce 8.9 MTPA
While U.S. LNG projects are proceeding at a fever pace, they are not the only major LNG players achieving progress.
Chevron announced it has started producing LNG from its Wheatstone project, with first cargo expected to be shipped in the next few weeks. The $35 billion project is located in western Australia, producing LNG from several fields located offshore.
The project’s two trains will produce a combined 8.9 MTPA when fully operational, with an additional plant supplying gas for domestic use in Australia.
Wheatstone is a joint venture between Chevron (64.14%), Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC) (13.4%), Woodside Petroleum Limited (13%), and Kyushu Electric Power Company (1.46%), together with PE Wheatstone Pty Ltd, part owned by JERA (8%).
The project has been in the works for more than a decade, as Chevron discovered the Wheatstone field in August 2004. Chevron decided to develop the field as an onshore LNG project in 2008, and announced FID in 2011. With Train 1 now producing gas, the project is finally operational. According to Reuters, the second train will begin production in six to eight months.
“First LNG production is a significant milestone and is a credit to our partners, contractors and the many thousands of people who collaborated to deliver this legacy asset,” said Chevron Chairman and CEO John Watson. “Wheatstone adds to our legacy gas position in Australia that will be a significant cash generator for decades to come.”
Gorgon also producing Western Australian LNG
Wheatstone is the second major Australian LNG project from Chevron, as the company also took the lead in the massive Gorgon LNG terminal. Gorgon began production in 2016 and started production at its third and final train in March 2017. The project is producing 15.6 MTPA, meaning Chevron projects will account for 24.5 MTPA of LNG production when fully operational.
