Video: Chevron Sends 1st Wheatstone LNG Cargo to Japan

The 2017-built LNG tanker Asia Venture set sail from Western Australia on October 31 carrying the first shipment of liquefied natural gas from the country’s Wheatstone Project, according to energy company Chevron Australia.

The 82,637 dwt tanker is currently on its way to Tokyo, where it is scheduled to arrive on November 10, AIS data provided by Marine Traffic shows. The cargo will be delivered to one of Chevron’s foundation buyers, JERA for delivery into Japan.

The Bahamas-flagged LNG tanker is one of six new state-of-the-art LNG carriers recently added to Chevron’s operated fleet.

“The first shipment of LNG from the Wheatstone Project signifies our commitment to be a safe and reliable long-term supplier of cleaner-burning natural gas for our customers in the Asia-Pacific region,” Nigel Hearne, Chevron Australia Managing Director, said.

The Wheatstone Project is located 12 kilometres west of Onslow in Western Australia. It is Australia’s first third-party natural gas hub “enabling future development of the vast natural gas resources offshore Western Australia,” Hearne added.

At full capacity, the Wheatstone Project’s two train LNG facility is expected to contribute around six percent of the Asia Pacific region’s total future LNG production, delivering 8.9 MTPA of LNG for export to customers in Asia, according to the company.

The Chevron-operated Wheatstone LNG facility is a joint venture between Australian subsidiaries of Chevron, Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC), Woodside Petroleum Limited, and Kyushu Electric Power Company, together with PE Wheatstone Pty Ltd, part owned by JERA.