Warren R. True
OGJ Chief Technology Editor-LNG/Gas Processing
HOUSTON, Sept. 2 -- Chevron Corp.’s Gorgon project, including a planned three-train, 15 million-tonne/year LNG plant, took another step to realization Sept. 1 when Australia’s resources and energy minister and Western Australia’s state petroleum minister revealed they had offered to the Gorgon partnership five production licenses to cover Io-Jansz and Gorgon gas fields that will back stop the project.
Partners for the $42 billion project are Chevron 50%, ExxonMobil Corp. 25%, and Royal Dutch Shell PLC 25%.
The offshore gas fields that are the subject of the licenses will be developed via subsea wells and two pipelines bringing gas to Barrow Island where three LNG trains will each produce 5 million tpy. There will also be a 300-terajoule/day domestic gas plant feeding into a pipeline to the mainland and a carbon dioxide sequestration plant that can store in deep formations beneath the island the high levels of CO2 in the Gorgon fields (OGJ, July 20, 2009, p. 10).
Reports have been circulating for some weeks that Chevron expects to make a final investment decision this month.
Contact Warren R. True at [email protected].