Chevron Starts Supplying Wheatstone Gas to Oz Market
Chevron Australia has started delivering gas from the Wheatstone LNG export facility near Onslow, Western Australia to the domestic market, it said March 5.
The gas will be supplied to local households and businesses through contracts with Western Australian customers for decades to come, it said.
"Our investment in the Gorgon and Wheatstone natural gas facilities are a major contributor to Australia now being one of the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) suppliers and has enabled the development of a secure domestic gas supply for the state’s industrial, commercial and household users,” Chevron Australia managing director Al Williams said.
At full capacity, the Chevron-operated Gorgon and Wheatstone natural gas facilities will be able to produce 500 Tj/d (13mn m3/d) of domestic gas for the Western Australian market, the company said.
Chevron's equity share of Wheatstone domestic gas production is approximately 128 Tj/d. Since late-2016, the Chevron-operated Gorgon domestic gas facility has been supplying the Western Australian market.
Australian oil and gas industry body APPEA chief executive Malcolm Roberts said Chevron’s announcement was positive news for Western Australia.
“The commencement of the Wheatstone natural gas facility marks another significant milestone in the project’s development and will ensure Western Australians continue to enjoy access to abundant supplies of cleaner-burning natural gas well into the future," he said.
“As the Australian Energy Market Operator noted in its Gas Statement of Opportunities report in December, WA has more than enough gas to meet its export and domestic requirements.
“But further investment is required to ensure that gas supply continues into the future. This means it is more important than ever that WA maintain an attractive regime for oil and gas investment," Roberts added.