A unit of US energy giant Chevron said it has closed the third train at its Gorgon LNG facility in Western Australia for repair works.
“Following the successful repair and restart of Gorgon LNG Train 1, we have undertaken a controlled shutdown of LNG Train 3 to carry out repairs on piping associated with the dehydration unit,” a Chevron spokesperson told LNG Prime in an emailed statement.
The spokesperson said that production continues from the two other 5.2 mtpa units at the LNG plant located on Barrow Island.
“We continue to deliver natural gas to our regional customers and the Western Australian domestic market,” the spokesperson said.
Chevron did not provide any additional information.
Production issues
The firm said last week it had resumed production from the first train at its Gorgon LNG facility in Western Australia after it found a “minor” gas leak.
Chevron Australia temporarily suspended production from this 5.2 mtpa unit on November 16. The company said then it found the small leak on piping associated with the dehydration unit on the first train during routine operator duties at the LNG plant.
Also, the company has earlier this year completed repair works at the first train after it found “weld quality issues” within heat exchangers that closed the plant’s second and third production unit as well.
The firm said in late July it had completed repairing heat exchangers at the third Gorgon LNG train.
Besides Gorgon, Chevron continues to produce LNG at both of its Wheatstone trains where it recently finalized the first major turnaround at the 8.9 mtpa plant near Onslow in Western Australia.
The Gorgon development is one of the world’s largest natural gas projects with a price tag of about $54 billion.
The giant 15.6 mtpa plant liquefies gas coming from two offshore fields – Gorgon and Jansz-Io.
Chevron Australia operates the project with a 47.3% share while ExxonMobil and Shell have a 25% stake, each.
Japan’s Osaka Gas, Tokyo Gas, and JERA own the remaining stakes in Gorgon.