Wheatstone Drilling Complete

Drilling is now complete at Australia’s Wheatstone LNG project, with all nine development well flowbacks successful. 

The Wheatstone project is one of Australia’s largest resource developments. Chevron began construction of the A$29 billion ($22 billion) project in late 2011. It will have an onshore facility located at the Ashburton North Strategic Industrial Area, 7.4 miles (12 kilometers) west of Onslow in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. 

The foundation project includes two LNG trains with a combined capacity of 8.9 million metric tons per annum and a domestic gas plant. Offshore there will be a gas processing platform in 73 meters of water and a 225 kilometer trunkline to transport gas from the platform to the facilities at Ashburton.

“The Wheatstone project represents Australia’s first natural gas infrastructure hub that has attracted third-party natural gas,” says Roy Krzywosinski, Managing Director of Chevron Australia. “This unique project is a game changer for the industry, enabling the future development of Chevron’s vast natural gas resources as well as third-party natural gas located offshore Western Australia.”

The Wheatstone platform is the largest offshore gas-processing platform ever installed in Australia, with a topside weight of about 37,000 metric tons, and the largest float-over installation Chevron has ever delivered globally.

Chevron anticipates first LNG cargo from Wheatstone by mid-2017. In conjunction with the Gorgon project, Wheatstone reinforces Chevron’s position as a leading LNG operator in the Asia-Pacific region. 

The Wheatstone project is a joint venture between Australian subsidiaries of Chevron (64.14 percent), Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC) (13.4 percent), Woodside Petroleum Limited (13 percent), and Kyushu Electric Power Company (1.46 percent), together with PE Wheatstone Pty Ltd, part owned by TEPCO (eight percent).

Eighty percent of the Wheatstone project’s foundation capacity will be fed with natural gas from the Wheatstone and Iago fields, which are operated by Chevron Australia in joint venture with Australian subsidiaries of KUFPEC and Kyushu Electric Power Company, together with PE Wheatstone Pty Ltd.

The remaining 20 percent of gas will be supplied from the Julimar and Brunello fields held by Australian subsidiaries of Woodside Petroleum Limited and KUFPEC

Hookup and commissioning activities at Wheatstone are progressing. 

At LNG Train 1, all modules are on site with structural, mechanical and piping works continuing. 

Delivery of Train 2 modules continue, with 21 of 24 modules now on site.

The LNG storage tanks are nearing completion with hydrotesting activities complete.

Images: Credit Chevron