Australia's Gorgon LNG Train 1 resumes output after repairs, Chevron says

The Chevron-operated 5.2 million mt/year Gorgon LNG Train 1 on Barrow Island in Western Australia has resumed production following the completion of repair work on piping associated with the dehydration unit, a company spokesperson said Nov. 26.

The unit had been shut after "a minor gas leak" was detected at the facility on Nov. 16, prompting concerns about a further tightening in the Asia-Pacific LNG market and supporting spot LNG prices that were already trending near record highs.

"Chevron worked systematically to safely address the issues and maintain natural gas to our customers and the Western Australian domestic market," the spokesperson said.

"Chevron identified the matter during routine operator duties and the regulator, DMIRS, has been kept informed. Appropriate measures are in place to keep our workforce safe and a root cause investigation is underway," the person added.

Gorgon's LNG plant, one of the largest in the region, has three equal sized trains with a total nameplate capacity of 15.6 million mt/year. Gorgon is operated by Chevron as a joint venture between the Australian subsidiaries of Chevron, which owns 47.3% of the project, ExxonMobil with 25%, Shell 25%, Osaka Gas 1.25%, Tokyo Gas 1% and JERA 0.417%.