Chevron said on March 29 that its Wheatstone liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in Western Australia is unlikely to resume full production for several weeks as repairs continue following damage caused by Tropical Cyclone Narelle last week.
The cyclone disrupted Australian LNG supply equivalent to over 30 million metric tons annually, according to MST Marquee analyst Saul Kavonic. Combined with supply shocks from Middle East conflicts, more than a quarter of global LNG supply has been affected, he noted.
“While damage assessments are ongoing at both the onshore Wheatstone plant and offshore Wheatstone Platform, it is likely to take several weeks for production to return to full capacity to ensure repairs are completed safely,” a Chevron Australia spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
The two-train Wheatstone LNG project produces 8.9 million tons annually, with approximately 15% reserved for the domestic market. “The Wheatstone gas facility near Onslow sustained equipment damage from the severe weather,” the spokesperson confirmed.
Chevron added that its 15.9 million-ton Gorgon LNG export facility and domestic plant continued operating at full capacity, with all three trains returning to full production on March 29.
