Chevron sets date for first Gorgon LNG cargo after shutdown

Chevron’s Gorgon LNG project in Australia, one of the largest natural gas projects in the world, is expected to ship its first cargo of LNG on July 3 after the plant was shut down due to mechanical problems in March.

The facility on Barrow Island 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 cargo from the US$54 billion LNG project will be shipped onboard Teekay’s 165,500-cbm Marib Spirit, according to a shipping schedule posted on the Chevron Australia website.

Energy giant Chevron expects to export in total 5 cargoes of the chilled fuel from the Gorgon plant in July.

Chevron’s 160,000-cbm Asia Excellence, that loaded and delivered the first Gorgon cargo to Japan, is scheduled to take a cargo and depart from the plant on July 11, the shipping data shows.

The 171,800-cbm Beidou Star, owned by MOL, is expected to leave the Gorgon plant on July 18 while the NYK-operated and managed LNG Flora, with a capacity of 125,600-cbm, will load a cargo and depart from the liquefaction plant on July 22.

Another Chevron-owned carrier, the 160,000-cbm Asia Endeavour is expected to load the last July cargo and depart from the plant on July 30, according to the data.

Prior to the mechanical failure, Train 1 production peaked at nearly 90,000 barrels of oil equivalent. Chevron said earlier this year the company still expects the ramp-up to full capacity over the next six to eight months, despite the issue.

At full capacity, the 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 within the Greater Gorgon area, between 80 miles (130 km) and 136 miles (220 km) off the northwest coast of Western Australia.

The largest single resource project ever developed in Australia 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