Chevron Starts Carbon Dioxide Injection at Gorgon

Chevron Australia and the Gorgon joint venture participants August 8 announced the safe startup and operation of the CO₂ injection system at the Chevron-led Gorgon natural gas facility on Barrow Island, off the northwest coast of Western Australia.

Once fully operational, the CO₂ injection facility will reduce Gorgon’s greenhouse gas emissions by about 40%, or more than 100mn metric tons over the life of the injection project, Chevron Australia said.

“The Gorgon facility incorporates many leading design features aimed at maximising energy efficiency and minimising greenhouse gas emissions. In steady-state operations, Gorgon is anticipated to have the lowest greenhouse gas emissions intensity of any LNG project in Australia,” Chevron Australia added.

The Chevron-operated Gorgon project is a joint venture comprising the Australian subsidiaries of Chevron (47.3%), ExxonMobil (25%), Shell (25%), Osaka Gas (1.25%), Tokyo Gas (1%) and Jera (0.417%).

The Gorgon project is developing two gas fields – Gorgon and Jansz-Io. According to Chevron, the gas in the Gorgon field contains on average 14% naturally occurring reservoir CO₂ while the Jansz-Io field contains less than one percent. The CO₂ injection project facilities on Barrow Island include nine CO₂ injection wells at three drill centres; two pressure management drill centres - four water production wells - two water injection wells; two reservoir surveillance wells; a seven kilometre underground pipeline from the LNG plant site to the drill centres and three CO₂ compressor modules.