Chevron has fully restored LNG production at its Wheatstone LNG facility, almost a month after Cyclone Narelle damaged infrastructure at the project near Onslow.
Chevron has fully restored LNG production at its Wheatstone LNG facility, almost a month after Cyclone Narelle damaged infrastructure at the project near Onslow.
Wheatstone was the most impacted natural gas facility in the state from the cyclone, which caused major damage in the state’s North West.
Chevron returned the project’s domestic gas plant to production on April 3 but was unable to repair cooling fans on part of its LNG operation until this week.
Chevron Australia director of operations and maintenance Danny Woodall said the repair efforts were significant.
“Chevron Australia has resumed full LNG production at the Wheatstone gas facility following the safe completion of repairs after Tropical Cyclone Narelle,” he said.
“Extreme winds associated with the cyclone damaged several hundred air cooled heat exchangers, known as fin fans, making the repair program a significant undertaking.
“Safety remained our highest priority throughout the response and recovery. Our teams took the time to fully assess the damage, plan logistics and complete the repairs as quickly as possible, while ensuring the plant was ready to restart safely and reliably.
“We were able to restart domestic gas production for Western Australian customers in around a week after the cyclone, with LNG returning progressively.”
One LNG train at Wheatstone was returned to production earlier in April.
News of Chevron’s full production return comes as its industrial peers make significant donations to the Narelle recovery effort.
Woodside Energy announced yesterday that it would donate $1 million to support recovery efforts at Exmouth.
“The Exmouth community has shown remarkable resilience in the face of the challenges caused by Tropical Cyclone Narelle,” Woodside chief executive Liz Westcott said in a statement.
“Woodside’s contribution will support the local community as recovery efforts continue.”
This morning, Rio Tinto announced it would give $1.5 million the WA Department of Fire and Emergency Services to assist with the recovery effort.
“In the wake of Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle, our focus is on helping affected communities access support now and strengthening their ability to recover from future events,” Rio Tinto Iron Ore Chief Executive Matthew Holcz said.
“The Department of Fire and Emergency Services and other frontline organisations play a critical role in keeping Western Australians safe, and we are proud to support their work alongside the many volunteers and agencies helping people through this recovery.”
