Chevron preparing for Wheatstone LNG maintenance

Chevron’s unit in Australia is preparing to start work on the first major turnaround at its 8.9 mtpa Wheatstone LNG plant near Onslow in Western Australia.

The Wheatstone LNG facility, which shipped its first cargo in 2017, features two trains and a domestic gas plant located at the Ashburton North Strategic Industrial Area in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. Natural gas arrives from the offshore Wheatstone, Iago, Julimar and Brunello gas fields.

“Commencing in September, approximately 500 workers will come together to undertake Wheatstone’s first turnaround,” a Chevron spokesperson told LNG Prime in an emailed statement on Monday.

“Close to 80% of the work done will be undertaken by Western Australian-based companies and suppliers,” the spokesperson said.

First Wheatstone LNG train

The upcoming maintenance will mainly focus on the first Wheatstone LNG train.

To remind, Chevron has previously said in a notice it had planned to shut more than “one LNG train but not greater than one and a half LNG trains” at its Wheatstone facility from September 2 to October 7, 2021.

The firm also said in the notice it had planned to close more than “one-and-a-half of an LNG train” at Wheatstone from April 4 to May 9, 2022. However, these dates could change.

Maintenance works at Wheatstone follow the completion of maintenance and repair works at three Gorgon LNG trains on Barrow Island in Western Australia.

Chevron said in July it had completed repair works on heat exchangers at the third train at its giant 15.6 mtpa Gorgon LNG facility after finding “weld quality issues” that closed the plant’s first and second train.

Also, Chevron said earlier this year it had managed to increase the design capacity at the Gorgon facility by 5 percent and the Wheatstone plant by 9 percent.

Chevron Australia has a 64.14 percent operating stake in Wheatstone. Other partners include KUFPEC (13.4 percent), Woodside (13 percent), and Kyushu Electric (1.46 percent), together with PE Wheatstone, partly owned by JERA (8 percent).

Most Popular

Shell wraps up acquisition of Pavilion Energy

UK-based LNG giant Shell has completed its previously announced acquisition of Singapore's Pavilion Energy.

India’s ONGC approves Mozambique LNG investment

India’s state-run ONGC has approved an investment by its unit, ONGC Videsh, into the TotalEnergies-led Mozambique LNG joint venture, which is developing a 12.8 mtpa liquefaction plant at the Afungi complex.

Australia’s Viva Energy seeks FSRU for Geelong project

Australia’s Viva Energy is looking to secure a floating storage and regasification Unit (FSRU) for its proposed LNG import terminal in Geelong, Australia.

More News Like This

Tokyo Gas to buy US shale gas stake from Chevron

Japan’s city gas supplier and LNG importer, Tokyo Gas, has agreed to buy a stake in a US shale gas development from energy giant Chevron.

Energy Transfer, Chevron ink long-term Lake Charles LNG deal

Energy Transfer LNG, has entered into a 20-year LNG sale and purchase agreement (SPA) with Chevron U.S.A., according to...

Chevron and Woodside in Australian LNG asset swap deal

The two firms announced the deal in separate statements on Thursday. Under the proposed transaction, Chevron Australia will transfer to...

Chevron-led JV secures GHG permit near Barrow Island

US energy giant Chevron and its partners Shell and ExxonMobil have been awarded the greenhouse gas (GHG) assessment permit...