Chevron preparing for first Gorgon post-shutdown cargo

Chevron’s US$54 billion Gorgon LNG project in Australia is gearing up for first export after the March shut-down as an LNG tanker arrived near the plant located on Barrow Island.

The giant liquefaction and export facility halted production soon after the first cargo of the chilled fuel was shipped in March due to a mechanical issue in the propane refrigerant circuit on Train 1.

The second ever cargo from the Gorgon facility will be shipped onboard Teekay’s 165,500-cbm LNG carrier Marib Spirit that is currently anchored offshore Barrow Island.

According to a shipping schedule posted on the Chevron Australia website, the LNG tanker is expected to dock at the Gorgon jetty on Friday morning.

The Marib Spirit will then load a cargo of the chilled fuel and depart from the facility on July 3, the data shows.

As previously reported by LNG World News, energy giant Chevron expects to ship five cargoes of the chilled fuel from the Gorgon facility in July.

Chevron said earlier this year the company still expects the ramp-up of the first train to full capacity over the next six to eight months, despite the issue.

According to Chevron’s latest project update, all Train 2 and 3 modules are on site and construction is progressing.

The U.S.-based multinational also received an environmental approval from Australia to add the fourth liquefaction train to its Gorgon LNG project. However, no decision on the fourth train has yet been made.

The three-train plant on Barrow Island will have the capacity to produce 15.6 mtpa of LNG using feed gas from the Gorgon and Jansz-Io gas fields, located between 130 km and 220 km off the northwest coast of Western Australia.

The LNG project is operated by Chevron that owns a 47.3 percent stake, while other shareholders are ExxonMobil (25 percent), Shell (25 percent), Osaka Gas (1.25 percent), Tokyo Gas (1 percent) and Chubu Electric Power (0.417 percent).

LNG World News Staff