A New Source of Vital Energy
The Wheatstone Project is one of Australia’s largest resource projects – providing greater security of supply and significant economic benefits such as employment, government revenue and local business opportunities.
In conjunction with the Gorgon Project, it reinforces our position as a leading natural gas supplier and liquefied natural gas (LNG) operator in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Wheatstone Project will include an onshore facility located at Ashburton North Strategic Industrial Area (ANSIA), 12 kilometres west of Onslow in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. The foundation project includes two LNG trains with a combined capacity of 8.9 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) and a domestic gas plant.
The Wheatstone Project is a joint venture between Australian subsidiaries of Chevron (64.14%), Apache (13%), Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC, 7%), Shell (6.4%), and Kyushu Electric Power Company (1.46%), together with PE Wheatstone Pty Ltd (part owned by TEPCO, 8%).
Providing Third Party Gas Opportunities - New Partners Welcome
The project site at ANSIA, is an ideal location for an LNG hub given its proximity to the discovered gas resources in the Western Carnarvon Basin.
Eighty percent of the Wheatstone Project's foundation capacity will be fed with natural gas from the Wheatstone and Iago field operations, which are operated by Chevron (80.17%) in joint venture with Australian subsidiaries of Shell (8%) and Kyushu Electric Power Company (1.83%), together with PE Wheatstone Pty Ltd (part owned by TEPCO, 10%). The remaining 20 percent of gas will be supplied from the Apache and KUFPEC Julimar and Brunello fields.
There are precious few, suitable port sites in the region and the Wheatstone natural gas project provides a foundation for commercialising both existing and future gas resources.
We are committed to providing much-needed new and cleaner burning energy to Australia and the Asia-Pacific region, and have already committed more than 80 percent of Chevron's equity LNG from the Wheatstone Project to premier LNG buyers.
LNG customers include TEPCO, Kyushu, Chubu Electric Power Company and Tohoku Electric Power Company.
Using Human Energy to Harness a Substantial New Resource
Chevron discovered Wheatstone in August 2004 and in March 2008 announced an intention to develop the gas resource as a greenfield onshore LNG and domestic gas project.
A final investment decision to proceed with the Wheatstone Project was made 26 September 2011, with construction beginning soon after in December 2011.
Drawing on all the human energy in Chevron, including at the Global Technology Centre in Perth, the Wheatstone Project will become one of the most advanced, environmentally responsible LNG projects in the world.
Site Selection
Responsibly and Respectfully Choosing the Best Location
In December 2008, we selected a preferred site at Ashburton North - 12 kilometres west of Onslow on the Pilbara coast of Western Australia as the location for the LNG and domestic gas plant.
We selected the Ashburton North site after a 12 month study and extensive community consultation to find the location most suitable from environmental, community, social impact and engineering aspects.