Chevron to hike gas production at Wheatstone plant

The Chevron-operated Wheatstone LNG project near Onslow in Western Australia will increase its domestic gas production capacity through technical enhancements and plant modifications, Chevron Australia said on August 23. The official nameplate capacity of the Wheatstone domestic gas plant will rise from 205 terajoules/day to 215 terajoules/day, marking a 5% increase.

The announcement comes as unions representing offshore platform workers at Australian LNG providers threaten to strike over better wages and working conditions. 

Mark Hatfield, Chevron Australia's managing director, stated that the modifications and high-rate production trial over the past year confirmed the facility's ability to safely and reliably produce domestic gas at higher rates across various conditions and environments.

“Chevron is one of WA’s major domestic gas suppliers, currently operating facilities that produce almost half of the state’s gas supply, helping to underpin energy security and economic prosperity,” Hatfield said. 

Hatfield mentioned that ongoing work will aim to trial even higher domestic gas production rates. Recognising the importance of natural gas for industries and communities in Western Australia, Chevron will continue to explore operational efficiencies and equipment enhancements at the Wheatstone project to potentially increase domestic gas capacity further, he said.

The Wheatstone project is a joint venture between Chevron Australia, Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC), Woodside, Kyushu Electric Power Company, and PE Wheatstone (part-owned by JERA).